Chance Answer
by AI Rorello
Summary: Yaoyorozu Momo and Midoriya Izuku, both popular students of Class 1-A with amazing Hero potential - and together, they have zero potential! The two can hardly hold a decent conversation between them, let alone find a reason to talk to one another. But if either of them was given the chance to turn things around, would they take it?
1. My Mistake

When I first met Midoriya Izuku, I was honestly surprised.  
How did someone with so little confidence, and bare-bones knowledge of their own Quirk, enter into U.A. - one of the most prestigious schools in the world (concerning Quirks and Heroes) - and get into Class 1-A's Hero Course?  
Though I myself had been accepted through recommendations, I had believed U.A.'s enrollment process to be far more... selective than others. If this was indeed the academy that decided society's future Pro Heroes - then how could it accept someone so depressingly inept with their own abilities, or someone that's obviously a danger to themselves and those around them?  
That was all I could glean from Midoriya - no matter the angle I viewed him in.

If your very first meeting with someone could make you question the legitimacy of Japan's most influential school, then that says a lot about a first impression.

Later, as time in our classes passed, I came to realize the true strength that Midoriya held, in character and in Quirk. After seeing him in action and watching him interact with our peers, I happily concluded that my initial impressions of him were far off their mark.  
The new Midoriya (Hero-named 'Deku') that I see these days, is someone truly admirable - and in his own way: astounding. Post-realization, I would not have been surprised to find if he had been recommended into U.A. through prime sponsors. And considering the awesome caliber of our classmates who had _not_ entered with that privilege: this greatly shows just how much progress he has shown as a possible Pro Hero - to me, and to every one of his peers.  
He's gone above and beyond all initial expectations. Smashing (pardon the pun) through all of our doubts and concerns.

With all that said... outside of his accomplishments, I still find Midoriya rather lacking.  
His Quirk, while tremendous in its capabilities and shocking to behold, is still a work in progress - whereas the rest of the class have 'completed' Quirks, which we're only attempting to improve, rather than shaping up from scratch. And his personality... is still spineless and too wishy-washy for me to appreciate. He may have charmed the likes of Uraraka and Iida, and he doesn't seem to bother Tsuyu, but I honestly can't understand how anyone can put up with his fragile demeanor for lengthened periods.  
It's really rude to say, and I don't mean it in spite, but... I kind of understand why Bakugo is always so upset with him. I tend to want to yell, _"Just spit it out!"_ and _"Say what you mean!"_ and _"Stop stuttering! Stop slouching! Look people in the eye when they're talking to you!"_ at him - but it's not my place to do so.

I'm not a close friend, an invested partner, nor his elder. It's not my place to judge him.  
No, my place is far elsewhere - not just in social position, but in expected careers. The Hero named 'Deku' would more likely grow to be an inspiration and an icon to many - a figurehead made by merit and undeniable charm. Whereas the Heroine 'Creati' would most likely end up in a supportive organization, if not in a managerial position within a Hero Agency of her own - a productive member of society that seeks to better humanity's united purpose, rather than stand out as a popular idol for gossip magazines. At least, that's what I'd hope to become and would hope to avoid.  
Those future goals would place Midoriya and I in two completely different worlds and paths - incomparable in our aspects and intents. So I'd have no real weight in critiquing him.  
Neither of us would benefit from meddling in each other's lives.  
Because of that, I don't socialize with him much. We rarely ever talk, rarely have been teamed up, and only on dire occasions have we interacted with one another - in class, in class trips, or even in our extracurricular activities. We don't belong in the same cliques, we share very few friends, and have little interest in networking with each other. So why...

Why in the world am I on a date with him?

About two weeks ago, a study date was prepared for the students of 1-A and 1-B - to increase our chances of passing the general studies tests due later in the month.  
I, Yaoyorozu Momo, along with my friend Jiro Kyoka, were the ones to spearhead this 'operation'.  
We would call it an 'operation' in secret, as this so-called 'study date' was actually a mask for our true goal: To set up Asui Tsuyu and Midoriya Izuku on a date.  
Jiro and I saw that the two worked really well together - and unlike Uraraka Ochaco, who obviously holds a crush on Midoriya, Tsuyu would not shirk away the chance to get closer to him.  
With as much effort and funds we put into the plan, we were sure that this event would work. And as a bonus, the rest of us would be able to enjoy a pleasant study session separate from them, in a comfortable, homestyled restaurant.

Things did not go according to plan, however... Ashido Mina, a friend we had put in charge of sending out the invitation texts, had accidentally sent the restaurant address to _everyone_ in a group message. The messages were meant to be sent individually, so that Tsuyu and Midoriya would end up in a chosen restaurant far away from ours.  
In the ensuing panic, we reworked the plan so that they would go to the restaurant we had chosen for us, and we would go to the restaurant chosen for them. But considering that a two-week efforted plan was upended and rebuilt overnight - there was a high risk of miscommunication.  
And miscommunicate we did. By the end of the confusion (still unknown in how or why), Tsuyu and I somehow switched places in the plans. Which means that while Tsuyu was enjoying a wonderful time studying with friends and peers in a fanciful restaurant, I found myself sharing a quiet table for two with the boy named Midoriya Izuku...

My phone is vibrating relentlessly. I had stopped checking it over an hour ago, as the messages seemed to repeat a disheartening pattern: Apologies - Checking Up - New Plan - New Plan Failure - Counter-Plan - Counter-Plan Failure - Teasing Joke - Casual Chat - Repeat. It's become painfully obvious to me that there's no real way we could reverse the situation within an afternoon's time.  
Plus, reading my friends' heartful comments and silly antics just puts me in a sour mood.  
I'm jealous. While they're over there having the time of their lives sharing notes... I'm stuck having to play the awkward tutor for Midoriya.

Midoriya didn't have his notes with him. It was part of our plan to keep his notes from him so that he would focus all his time on conversing with Tsuyu, but now that part is a bane for my situation. He's sitting right next to me, practically rubbing elbows, just so he can look over my notebook. He still thinks we're having a study session, thankfully. But that assumption doesn't stop him from his usual overly-shy reactions.  
More than once he's slid himself away from me just because he accidentally touched me. More than twice he's become childishly red-cheeked whenever he's realized that we're alone together. And more than thrice he's apologized stupidly for saying something that could be taken out of context.  
I'm sure the way he acts now might make some giddy girls' hearts race... but I just find myself inwardly disappointed in him. Not because I'm cold to romantic possibilities (I have a small collection of romance novels that I adore), but because I'm not really swayed by these teen _'rom-com'_ moments. I prefer a more forward and mature approach to love... with hints of drama and betrayal, but mostly with the kind of affection that's ripened through experience. And Midoriya Izuku is far from what one would call 'ripened'.  
He's like a boy fresh out of elementary - so unused to personal interactions of the opposite sex, and having a naive view of how relationships should blossom. I don't really want to spend an effort to teach him how these things play out realistically. In fact, I have very little patience for his immature outlook overall.

"Stop inching away, Midoriya." I say just below a shouting volume. I'm rubbing my fingers against my forehead to better communicate my irritation. "You should stop minding your closeness with me and more mind what I'm trying to teach you."

"Y-Yes! I'm sorry!" he apologizes for the seventh time today.

"If you're truly sorry then please take this study session seriously."

"I know. It's just..."

"It's just _what_." I look at him directly. He's not giving me eye contact again. My left eye is twitching. "Don't run away from your point again. Tell me what's bothering you."

"Okay. Um... _How do I put this..._ I... Um." He stiffens the instant he sees the glare in my eyes. "Um! Yaoyorozu... are we... are we on a date?"

"NO! OF COURSE NOT!" I realize that I just screamed that. That's embarrassing. I look around... some of the other patrons are glancing over at me, but they immediately return to their own conversations. Now I'm glad that we ended up in the rural family restaurant for this - where loud voices aren't unwelcome, otherwise I'd probably shrink away from embarrassment.

"Of course not." I say again after clearing my throat, "What makes you think that?"

"N-Nothing. I was just..." He's doing it again.

"Midoriya, speak up. What made you think this was a date?"

His face turns an absolute red. He shakily brings out his phone. Unlocking it and flipping its screen towards me, he shows me a large wall of text.  
So he's been receiving messages too.  
But rather than texts from friends trying to reconfigure failed plans, it's from fellow classmates who are... congratulating him f-for... taking... me out on a date.

I feel dead. I _am_ dead.  
I'm sure my face went pale and lifeless.  
It should be. _I_ should be.  
My reputation has just gone down the drain. How my peers look at me from now on will change drastically, permanently. How my friends treat me onward will be based on underlying rumors surrounding me. This is like getting a criminal charge in your permanent records: you can't wipe it out, you can't wash it clean, and try as you might to ignore it and pretend it never happened - no one will ever forget it.  
That's what happens when you date someone these days: it becomes a part of your history, a color of your background. And now the records will forever show that Yaoyorozu Momo's first date... was with _Midoriya Izuku_. Of all people...

"A-Are you okay, Yaoyorozu?" Just what I need from him, pity.

" _No, I'm not._ " I breathed out more than spoke. My stronger tone has fallen away like a summer leaf, and all that's left are the whispering creaks of a decaying tree. " _I'm dead. Just dead._ "

Midoriya's saying something to me, possibly trying to comfort me, but there's no way I can recover from this. My hand reaches down for my phone and weakly opens the texts that I had been ignoring for the past hour.

* * *

++Ashi [AH! (o-o) Cat spilled out the bag! They know you're with Midoriya!]

++Haga [Mina's the one who said it! XD]

++Ashi [Q.Q I didn mean to! I swear!]

++Jiro [You so did. Shut up.]

++Ashi [(Q-Q;;) Well - they don't know it's a date yet!]

++Sero [EH? Midoriya and Yaoyorozu's on a date?]

++Haga [:| Um... Why's Sero in the chat?]

++Ashi [They're not on a date-date! He was supposed to be on a date with Tsuyu!]

++Asui [excuse me ( . .) what]

++Haga [WHY IS EVERYONE IN THE CHAT]

++Jiro [Mina, you idiot! This is the 1-A chat!]

++Ashi [... WHAT]

++Asui [no really. Mina. what do you mean i was supposed to be on a date with him]

++Jiro [Oh dang, Mina. You're on your own.]

++Haga [XDDD]

++Kiri [Yoooo what]

++Aoya [*(0o0)* Scandalous!]

++Asui [Mina answer my question]

++Ashi [I AM SO SORRY MOMO]

++Sero [Woo! Go Yaoyorozu! Haha]

* * *

Just the last twenty texts is enough to tell me... Just the last two texts was enough to tell me... Enough to tell me that my respectable life among my peers is over. I'm now the center subject of gossip and unnecessary interests. I'll be plagued with expectations I never earned, and burdened with perceptions I will never be able to sway. This is it. This is the end of my normal high school life.

* * *

 _++Mido [Guys quit it]_

 _++Mido [You're making Yaoyorozu upset]_

* * *

I look up. Midoriya's on his phone, tapping and sliding his thumbs furiously. I look back down.

* * *

++Kami [Midoriya's stepping his game UP. Dating the hottest girl in our class!]

++Mine [GO DIE]

 _++Mido [We're not dating]_

++Sero [Eh? Private lunch sounds like a date to me.]

 _++Mido [Yaoyorozu and I have just been studying this entire time]_

++Sero [How? I have your notes.]

 _++Mido [Yaoyorozu's been letting me share her notes]_

++Aoya [(~u*)+ Nice Moves!]

 _++Mido [It's not like that. We're just studying]_

 _++Mido [Every time I would worry if this was a date, she's yelled at me]_

++Kiri [Man up, Midoriya.]

 _++Mido [All we've been doing is eating and studying, that's all]_

 _++Mido [Yaoyorozu is making sure that's all we do. And that I stay focused on it]_

 _++Mido [And thanks to her I'm catching up on some lessons I missed]_

 _++Mido [So really, I'm thankful that I get this time to study with her]_

 _++Mido [And I don't appreciate all of you who are making this out to be something it isn't]_

 _++Mido [If Yaoyorozu and I don't think this is a date, then it's not a date]_

 _++Mido [Please apologize to her. She's really upset]_

(04:45 pm)

++Sero [Sorry, Yaoyorozu. I was only teasing.]

++Mine [Friendzoned yourself, Midoriya? That's sad.]

++Kiri [Yeah, I didn't mean to upset you. That's really irresponsible of me. I'm sorry.]

++Ashi [I'M SO SORRY MOMO SORRY SORRY SORRY]

++Kami [Whoops. Sorry on my part. Really.]

++Aoya [+(*n*)+ Truly unrefined of me. Apologies from my heart.]

++Asui [Mina answer my question]

* * *

My phone's screen flickers. A drop-down window appears, warning me of an incoming call from Mina. I swipe to answer.

"MOMO! I'M REALLY SORRY!" Mina's already desperately yelling for me the instant the call goes through. I hear people shushing her in the background - as they should be, as they're in a proper restaurant. Mina's voice whimpers into a quieter volume, " _Sorry, Momo... I didn't mean to make you cry._ "

"Wh-Who said I was crying?" I ask, confused.

"Don't be like that, Momo. We know you're crying." I can hear Jiro say in the back.

I wipe my wrist against my eye and sniffle. My friends know me almost too well. "I'm pretty pathetic to get so upset over something as silly as this."

"Don't say that. It's not silly for you. It was silly of us not to take this mess-up seriously." Mina answers.

"What do you mean 'us'? You're the one who did it." Toru's voice chimes in.

Mina shushes her and returns her attention to the phone, "We already cleared up the misunderstanding with everyone at the table. So no one's spreading rumors about you, okay?"

"Okay..."

"No one thinks you're on a date-date. Right guys?"

I hear everyone reply loudly in the background - each of them acknowledging that they knew this was all just a blunder. Even the students from 1-B are adding their defenses for me. Some teasings and jokes are said, some unrelated comments are thrown around, and overall it sounds like everyone there is taking this situation with a kind heart. It even sounds like this crazy mix-up has them laughing and enjoying their time there more. I'm really glad for that.  
Most of all, hearing each of their calling supports for me... touches my heart dearly. To think that they cared that much for me - to be willing to hear out my case, even if it would benefit them more to ignore me... These people - my peers - my classmates and associates - my friends... are all people I can rely on.

"See? There's nothing to worry about, Momo." Mina adds as a final echo of everyone's response, "So dry those tears."

" _O-Okay..._ " I sniffle. "You guys..."

"We know. We know. Calm your waterworks."

"Get back to studying, slacker!" I hear Jiro shout. She's shushed immediately.

I laugh a little. "I will. I will... Thank you, everyone."

"No problem." Mina answers for everyone, "We'll leave you to your studying now, okay?"

"Okay... Thank you."

"Yeah yeah. Bye for now. Call ya' later?"

"Of course. Bye for now."

" _Mina, answer my question._ " I hear Tsuyu's voice faintly in the background just before the call ends.

The light of my phone fades to black, and I quietly return it to my purse. I pat my eyes and nose down with a table napkin, trying to return myself to a respectable composure.  
After I confirm that I'm well enough to be presentable, I look back up to Midoriya. He's facing me now, with a caring smile. No blush, no nervous shaking, no dodging stares. It's a good look for him.

"Th-Thank you..." I say to him. My eyes look down from his. It's more of a gesture of a respect, than a hypocritically shy response. "You didn't have to do that for me."

"Of course I did." he answers me, "You were scared, right?"

"That's-!" I lock eyes with him, ready to deny the words, but seeing him stare back at me with that innocent, friendly grin... I drop my guard a little. "... Yes. I was scared. Though that's a very plain way of putting it."

"Then I'm glad I could help."

The words of a true Hero. There's a reason why I could see 'Deku' becoming an inspirational icon in his Pro Hero days. Because, every now and then, he does things like this - and says things like this. Saving people from troubles they never asked to be freed from... He'll grow into the classic idea of what it means to be a Hero, while the rest of us will be defined by more superficial values.  
It's what makes him stand out among our class. And it might be what makes him so incompatible with me.

"Hey Midoriya..." I say, brushing a strand of hair to the back of my ear, "Would you mind if we keep going with this day?"

"Hm?"

"Would you mind if we go somewhere else after lunch?"

"Like meet up with the others in the study group?"

"No... As in... just you and I. _Somewhere._ For a date."

Midoriya's calm expression shatters entirely. Eyes wide, red-faced, and needlessly shaking. He's about to exclaim something in shock. I stop him by placing my hand over his mouth.

"Yes or no?" I ask him plainly.

He stares at me in complete confusion. And after a short while, he slowly moves his head into a nod.

"Then it's a date." I pull away from him and return to eating the rest of my food.


	2. My Chance

The amusement park. The perfect environment for a first date, no matter which genre of romance you read. It was a place I had insisted as a destination point when Jiro, Mina, Toru, and I were planning out the date between Tsuyu and Midoriya. And thankfully it won over 'the arcade' and 'day at the beach' options. This place, by my understanding, was one where anyone could have fun.  
With two app tickets already pre-purchased for this day, I decided that it would be best if Midoriya and I took advantage of them - seeing as no one else had a use for them now. With a swipe of my phone and a pull of his hand, I dragged Midoriya into our first ever date-date.  
A person's first date is an event underestimated in importance. It's what sets the standards for every future date, as well as shape one's initial opinions over possible, future, dating prospects. As such, choosing the right place and right person is paramount, and should never be made carelessly (Or... so I've read). My choice for this amusement park was carefully made. My choice for Midoriya, however... was more done out of whim than anything else. I dearly hope it's not a whim I'll come to regret. After all, it'll be impossible for me to predict what will happen from this point on.

I stand on unknown territory. Lacking in most of my preferences, I would never have imagined Midoriya would be my first date. And since I've never imagined it - no matter how far into the future I look, there's no moment in my life I could ever see myself having a guy like him for a boyfriend. He and I are incompatible, after all. Like main characters belonging to two different genres, we would never have a reason to personally interact with each other, nor even consider each other for strong association. Our lives would twist and turn, but never could they intersect, and never would they clash.  
That fluke of a non-date at the restaurant was a near-impossible chance, and would have remained as a meaningless accident if I let it end there. But I didn't.  
The very fact that I know Midoriya and I are incompatible is what made me curious to try him as my first. I would never get this chance again, I'm sure. Why not take that chance and see what comes from it? And even if this fails - then I would at least get to know why it failed. Though I can say for certain that he and I wouldn't normally walk the same paths in life, I've never been really sure 'why' that is.

Why are we incompatible, really?

Why does he feel so different from me?

Why does it feel like I can forget him at any point and just move on in my life?

Why can't I see him as a boyfriend, let alone as a close friend?

And... why had this one in a billion chance fallen onto my lap?  
Curiosity over our impossibility as partners was the reason for my whim. And this date, hopefully, would provide me with an answer.  
The roller coaster, the Virtual Reality Escape Room, the cafe, the virtual bumper karts, the roller coaster, the crane game, the snack stands, the roller coaster, the ice cream parlor, the roller coaster... I had pulled Midoriya this way and that, from attraction to attraction.  
This was less for myself, and more to bring him out of his shell. Throughout most of our time after the lunch study session, he had stayed overly-stiff and blush-faced. The fact that he was on a date with me (or just on a date in general) was too much for him. But with enough roller coaster rides and food - he loosened up his nervousness. Enough to beg me to stop dragging him back to the roller coaster ride after every snack, at least. Maybe I was doing that more for myself.  
Him loosening up made the experience far more enjoyable. Not only did he stop his stuttering and try-hard formalities, but eventually, he willingly talked with me, pointed out which rides he preferred, challenged me (and lost) on several prize-based attractions, and even made a few terrible jokes (which, I'm ashamed to say, made me laugh). By the end of our day, Midoriya had completely forgotten that this was a date, and just enjoyed our time hanging out together in the park. We laughed, spoke, competed, and spoke some more (we become very zealous in our discussions), until the closing hours of the park drew near.  
We had gotten closer, greatly so. Though I still can't see him as anything more than just a friend, the fact that I can possibly see him as a friend is an remarkable improvement from before.

We sat at a bench near the front of the amusement park's entrance, calming ourselves down from a heated debate we held over Midnight's Hero costume - whether or not it should (or could) be adjusted.  
I argued to keep her costume as it was, preferring her to have the best access to her Quirk for her fights against Villains - rather than having to pander and please the public's unrelated moral issues. Midoriya, on the other hand, suggested that modifications could be made that would solve both problems (though his examples had glaring flaws) - and that the public's moral issues weren't unrelated, as Heroes and the use of their Quirks were regulated through the public's view of them. No proper agreement could be made between us, so we agreed to disagree for the moment - exiting the park's gates just before they could close.  
It was interesting to find that Midoriya, though very passionate with every discussion he puts himself into, didn't hold any animosity towards me for our disagreement... which is the first I've experienced with anyone I've seriously argued with. No matter how silent or subtle it is, I can always tell that the people I've strongly disagreed with hold some sort of grudge against me (strangers and friends alike).  
Rather than hold a grudge, Midoriya seemed... _thankful_ to have had that discussion with me. While we sat and chatted at the bench, his comfortable demeanor became more lax, and his friendliness towards me was noticeably stronger. Even as we barely avoided yet another debate (this time over the problems/importance of Vigilante Heroes), his behavior around me was exceedingly pleasant. I wasn't sure what to make of it.

So I dared to ask him, "What are you so happy about?"

I realize that the question sounded really rude only after having said it.  
His retained smile tells me that he took no offense.

"I finally got to know you better." he says with a quiet chuckle.

The wind howls through the barred gates behind us, overtaking our senses of sound and touch as the small gale rushes past our bench. I found myself staring at him during that loud silence, stunned at his words - and stunned at myself for being stunned. I'm even more confused than before.  
"Eh?" I voice the confusion, blinking at him.

Midoriya scratches the back of his head, a reaction he makes whenever he's nervous. It used to irritate me in how forced it seemed, but now I know it's a natural gesture for him. His eyes move away from me and looks up towards the clouds. He's trying to say something honest. Lacking in self-confidence, it's difficult for him to stay truthful while being pressured by another's expressions. These telltale behaviors were ones I studied and learned throughout our date today.

"For a while now," he says to me distantly, "I hardly knew anything about you, Yaoyorozu. Not so much your personality, history, or things like that - but who you were under all that. Things that most people figured about people if they paid enough attention to them.  
"At first I thought me not knowing was because we didn't talk with each other much during class. Then, after we attended class trips together, I thought it was because you just didn't want me to know more about you, maybe because you hated me or something."

"Why would I hate you?" I ask with a tilt of my head.

He laughs weakly. "I don't know. I just thought you did. That's why I was so confused when you asked me out for this... _date_." His face completely turns away from me this time. His ears are red. "I spent a lot of today trying to figure out why I still didn't know much about you - even when you were right there, telling me about yourself. Even when I was trying to give you all the attention and focus that I had - you felt like a stranger still. More than a stranger, actually."

 _'I know what you mean! I felt the same thing!'_ is what I want to say. But I hold my breath. I should let him finish his thoughts first. My fingers grip in impatience.

He continues, his shoulders slowly relaxing, "Then when we talked more, and started having debates... I don't know how else to say it, but: _'flashes'_ of you would come out - and I felt like I finally saw a piece of you."  
His shoulders raise as he leans back, planting his palms on the bench for support. With his head tilted back, I can tell that he's staring up at the blue-orange sky. "Our last two talks, especially, made me start to understand sides of you that I could only guess about before. And I feel like I can actually say that I 'know you' now. At least, a very small part of you. Even that little bit is better than the 'nothing' that I knew before. So I'm really glad for that."

I let the seconds pass in silence, waiting to see if he had anything more to say. With him only continuing his skybound gaze, I rekindle the conversation, "Why did you want to get to know me?"  
To end our talk here would drive me mad.

Midoriya takes in and lets out a deep breath, preparing his thoughts. He turns slightly towards me, though not completely facing my direction. His eyes are closed. His brows are furrowed. Normally this look would be accompanied by his murmuring, but instead, he speaks audibly to me, "It always felt like there was a wall between us. One that I couldn't climb over, or walk around, to see you on the other side. Like you were always hidden from me. I know it sounds silly, but-"

"It's not silly." I butt in. "I know that exact feeling. I've been feeling it for months now. Since we first met, I think. It might be the main reason why I asked you out for our date today, actually. I suppose I wanted to figure out what that _'wall between us'_ was, and to see if I could force it open, or break through it, perhaps. After all, it... it wouldn't feel right for me to just leave it there, after what you did for me... With your texts, that is."

He laughs nervously as he scratches his head. "O-Oh... Well, you're a lot bolder than me. Asking me out just to break 'that wall'... I was just planning on doing that by talking to you more in class."

"But we never talk in class."

His posture slumps forward in defeat. "Yeah... I couldn't figure out how to get past that."

"Normally, I don't think we ever would, or could." I reply with mirrored disappointment.

"I don't think it's impossible."

"Oh? And when would you have built up the courage to talk to me, privately? At any point of your life?"

He stiffens. " _Er..._ You got me there. I was kind of hoping that something would come along and give us that chance."

"Like today's lunch study? Or this date?"

"I - I guess..." he laughs weakly.

My irritation towards him is returning. If he was seriously risking all of our chances of getting to know each other on foolish, unproven gambles, the least he could do is admit to it and apologize. Or if that's a lie, and he simply made up all of this to answer my sudden, unexpected question, then he shouldn't multiply the problem with continuing this farce. I really can't tell if he's being a spineless fool, or a kind liar. With his attitude towards everything, he really could be either.  
No... It's only my irritation that's making me consider that.

When judged genuinely, Midoriya's character could never be mistaken for a liar. He's an awful liar, after all. But being a fool doesn't excuse him from this moment.  
The fact that he's continuing to risk our chances by remaining spineless with this conversation, is a grievous mistake! If he gives up now, thinking that we 'did enough' today, and is satisfied with what we've accomplished so far - then this conversation will die off, and our chances within it will vanish too.  
This laxity would be forgivable if we had more chances today.  
But 'today' is ending, marked by the setting sun behind us.  
Doesn't he care that this may be our very last chance figure out what's between us? The very last conversation to uncover why we could never seem to 'recognize' each other? Doesn't that bother him? Doesn't this worry him at all?

Even now as I look at him and listen to him, he looks and sounds like a 'blur' to me. Physical - Real - There, but only on superficial grounds. Internally, intimately, I still can't quite see him for who he is - or why any of it matters to me. He remains a bit hazy, and not entirely concrete and consequential. Like a figment of my imagination, or a passing dream.  
I know that after this conversation ends, and we head our separate ways, we'll go right back to being something akin to 'invisible friends', or 'close strangers'. Talking at and around each other, but never really finding a care to do more than just that. We would continue to know that the other exists, but never acknowledge a personal value between us. From here on until the unforeseeable future, we would only return to seeing each other as 'Yaoyorozu' and 'Midoriya', but never, ever, find the 'Momo' or 'Izuku' beneath it all. The wall remains standing, and we wouldn't care.  
That future... with its unstoppable indifference... is maddening. And knowing that the moment I step away from this bench, is the last time I'll ever be upset by this, is the most frustrating thing I've ever had to face in my life.

I tug at Midoriya's arm to get him to look at me. As he turns, I grab both of his shoulders and force him to face me. He gives me a panicked stare, not knowing what in the world's happening. It's a fair reaction - I have no idea what it is exactly that I'm trying to do. I stare back at him for a few seconds, still holding his shoulders firmly.  
Finally, I decide to just let my growing anxiety speak for itself.

"Why can't we stay like this?!" I shout at the wall between us, rather than the one behind it.

The wide, panicked stare of _the one behind it_ slowly shifts into something different. Something I haven't seen before.  
Midoriya's gaze is still wide, still staring, and still confused. But rather than the feeling of panic... _something else..._ something else is there.  
I can't tell what it is. No matter how much I study his eyes, I can't see what they're trying to convey. Yet - in that moment of complete blindness - I saw a glimpse of him. A 'real glimpse' of the 'real Midoriya', the _'real Izuku'_.  
There's no words I can muster to describe that glimpse clearly. I can't even pretend to discover the right words to define it. All that I can grasp within myself to express what this might be is... _'Recognition'_ , or maybe _'Empathy'_ , was pouring out from him - and reaching out towards me.  
It made my heart skip a beat. Out of surprise, that is! Not in _that_ way. At least, I don't think...

His lips unseal themselves, ready to say something back to me... but they hesitate, shaking in unsureness. He's scared, I think. I'm scared, I know. It feels like the wall between us is just about to tear itself away. And I'm absolutely terrified over what might happen if it does.  
Maybe this veil is supposed to remain untouched. Maybe it was meant to keep us from making a horrible mistake. Maybe it's holding back a disaster from breaking through. Maybe I had just made the worst decision in my life by pushing him to do this. This is my fault. And I'm so frightened of the nearing consequences.

"I knew it!" a voice breaks through our concentration, and we nearly fall over as a result.

Midoriya and I pull away from each other, then immediately turn towards the source of the voice... Ashido Mina, frozen in shock, is standing just a few feet away - pointing her phone towards us. A camera shutter is heard.


	3. My Sleep

Sometime after the study session between the students of Class 1-A and 1-B, Mina had checked her phone to see if I had sent any updates about my lunch study with Midoriya. Though I'm not as chatty as her or Toru in our little group conversations, I'm still expected to throw them a topic-worthy bone or two to interest them until our next get-together in-between classes.  
The fact that I hadn't sent any messages for over an hour was normal. The fact that I hadn't sent any messages for over four hours wasn't.  
At the time, I was a little busy helping Midoriya make it to the restroom before he could throw up his post-post-lunch snack - that I hadn't noticed the barrage of texts Toru was sending my way. Rather than join in on the futile effort, Mina followed her gut feeling and checked on a certain app on her phone.  
The app in question was a shopping app, where one could earn reward points if they purchased items from specific online vendors. It was an app we (Mina, Toru, Jiro, and myself) shared a 'family account' in - and one we all installed just about two weeks ago. An app where we kept a specific set of food rewards, travel rewards, and entertainment rewards locked down and readied for use... for Tsuyu and Midoriya's pre-planned date.

Cunning as she was, Mina realized that my phone silence could mean that a certain app was being used by a certain someone to claim a certain set of pre-activated vouchers for a certain event planned for certain areas not originally catered for these certain people. The whos and whats were obvious, but the 'why' escaped her.  
Sure enough, as she looked through the app's history, she noticed that three of the four vouchers had been recently claimed and could no longer be used.  
Excusing herself from the group's post-lunch hang out, Mina beelined it to one of the certain locations via bullet train, and there, found the suspected duo doing quite an unexpected thing.

In short, Mina had caught Midoriya and I dating...

She had taken a photo of us just as we were pulling away from each other - which made it look like the two of us had just fled from a rather intimate moment. Life-ruining and blackmail-worthy as the photo was, Mina promised she wouldn't make it, or the details of our date, public... Which meant that she spilled all of the details, including the photo, to everyone else in our little group: Toru, Jiro, and Tsuyu.  
Our private group chat that night was rather... _lively_. And I didn't get much (needed) sleep.

The following morning was an exam day in class, one that carried multiple tests reviewing the subjects we've covered over the past month and a half. It wasn't a mid-term, but it was prepped like one to ensure that we were kept on our toes for the rest of the quarter. And it accomplished exactly that.  
I may have confidence that I passed the tests after finishing them, but I felt utterly defeated by their results - as I found that a handful of my answers on each of the tests were incorrect. Getting more than two answers wrong in a test is not normal for me. But then again, neither is having less than two hours' worth of sleep. Mina and Toru were relentless in their texts last night...  
Neither Toru nor Mina passed a good sum of their tests - so they've been burdened with supplementary lessons for two weeks. I would be glad for their deserved punishments, but I'm too exhausted and depressed to smile over it.

I want to go home and sleep. _I want to go home and cry_. How could I ruin my sleep schedule this much? _How could I ruin my academic record this much?_ Why did I bother staying up that late just to answer those gossip texts?

"Thank you again for helping me study." a voice says near me.

The owner of the voice is to my right, standing slightly behind my view, and barely facing away from me. Their positioning is overly-shy and clumsy in execution. If it weren't for their telling gratitude or their recognizable voice, I would have thought that this person wasn't speaking to me at all.

"I'm pretty sure I passed all of my tests today." the person tells me.

Midoriya Izuku, one of two suspects found guilty due to a taboo photograph - and the core subject of the interrogations I was put under and made to endure all night long, was the reason I had given up my sleep and perfect scores. He was the reason why I felt like dying right now. Was he worth this?  
I turn from my desk and look up at him. His glance towards me immediately flees, and his face turns red. He's still just as pathetically shy and spineless around me as he's always been. For that reaction alone, I question why I bothered defending his reputation last night.

I continue to look up at him, forcing my eyes to focus on his features. Even with my tired perception, I could see the minute details of his face... His wide, green eyes, lying atop a set of four pronounced freckles on each cheek... His deep, upper eyelashes, thicker than his nearly invisible lower eyelashes... His thin, black eyebrows that twist and turn with each exaggerated expression... His wide lips, his small nose, his pointed, average ears, his feminine chin and boyish cheeks... I can see it all very clearly.  
And yet the person beneath that appearance - the source of his unmistakeable looks - remains hidden from my view.  
That once-in-a-lifetime 'moment of recognition' I had with Midoriya, is nothing but an empty memory. Try as I might to think back to it, or rekindle it now, I can't seem to remember what it was exactly that made my heart skip a beat, or made my knees quake with fear.  
It all seemed imagined, probably due to stress or coming down from a high. At the realistic present, and for the foreseeable future, Midoriya is back to being Midoriya - nothing more, nothing less. As I see him, and with nothing hidden beneath. I feel as if I should be sad over this change of perception, but I can't find any reason or care for it.  
 _'It's sad that I'm not sad'_ is the most I can accept of this situation. Barring that, I'm entirely indifferent to what I thought happened yesterday, and am emotionally unaffected by what I know is happening now. Does that make me a terrible person?

"I'm glad I could help." I respond to his earlier thanks with a respectable smile.

He smiles back, calming the redness in his cheeks.

We stare at each other for some time afterwards, both of us trying to see something that isn't there. But as it isn't there, we lose interest and begin turning away from each other.  
Maybe tomorrow we'll find it through a different conversation, or maybe the next day through an unplanned event. Maybe we'll never come across it - after all: _it isn't there._ This is how I imagine our lives will continue from now on. Him and I returning to our expected relationship as classmates, appreciating the other from a natural distance, unconcerned with each other in unintended closeness, and just knowing everything about each other - except each other. And that's a future we'll both be fine with.

Just before he could completely turn away, Midoriya stops himself and asks, "Would... Would you mind if I text you tonight?"

"Ah. I'm sorry, I need to catch up on my sleep when I get home. I stayed up too late the last night." I make my response immediately - without thought or concern. It's as if I was ready to deny him the moment he spoke.

"Oh, well, that's okay." he responds with a nodding apology, "Some other time then."

"Of course."

"See you tomorrow then." Midoriya waves as he approaches the classroom's exit.

"See you tomorrow." I wave back at him.

As he disappears from view, and I return to my own concerns, I curiously feel a lightness in my shoulders. A sense of 'release' surrounded me the moment he left the room. It's not a relieving sense, nor is it satisfactory, but I am glad to experience it. With us apart like this, neither of us have to deal with that uncomfortable tension anymore. And that's how it should be...

* * *

The door to my room is slightly open.  
In a family mansion served with maids and butlers, leaving a detail such as this untended to would be considered unforgiveable. However, I had made it very clear with my home's workers, as well as my parents, that I wished to live an independent life after I was entered into U.A. All chores concerning my belongings, every service surrounding my wellbeing, would have to be supervised and handled by myself, without non-requested help.  
And my family's servants honored that ongoing request by leaving my door as I had left it this morning. Not that I left it open on purpose.  
I had left my room tired, and in a rush. And now I return to it tired, and in a fuss. My unsatisfactory test scores are still crushing my spirit, and I'm still desperate for sleep.  
I quickly undress from my school uniform and slip into my nightly pajamas. From this point on, I'm determined to take back my sleep schedule, or to cry myself back into my sleep schedule. Either way, my night will not be ruined!

My phone vibrates. It's probably Mina and the rest - seeking to gossip about today's harrowing test results.  
 _I don't have time for that, I have moping to do._  
I place my phone onto my table and look for its charger... To my annoyance, my phone continues to vibrate. They're already at it with their back and forth chats. I find the charger and plug it in. With a wiggle of the cord, I check to see if it's recharging properly.  
The phone's screen brightens itself, and reveals the notification screen - with its time, weather, and battery reports. I blink. Something else is being notified.

I'm not receiving multiple messages from the group. I'm receiving a phone call from Midoriya...

I want to hit the lock button to ignore the call. But my eyes stay transfixed on the incoming call window. Why in the world would he be calling me? Didn't he hear me tell him that I'm trying to catch up on my sleep? Is he that desperate to have a conversation with me? Is he working around my denial of texting by calling me instead? That doesn't sound like something he would do. Midoriya is not known for rudeness, just misunderstanding and clumsiness. Maybe he misunderstood my denial. Or maybe he's accidentally calling me. Whichever the case is, I stand and stare at my phone long enough to miss his call.  
If this was an accident, then it won't ring again. If it wasn't, then...  
My phone's screen shuts itself off from inactivity and seconds pass in complete silence. Midoriya had accidentally called me.

Just as I'm ready to sigh in relief, my phone vibrates once again. The screen flickers. A window pops down and shows that I have one new voice mail.  
 _I feel sick._ My stomach is churning awfully, and I feel urged to leave the room in a hurry. _Why?_ I lean myself against my computer desk, trying to regain my sense of balance and steady my sickness. My forehead is sweating.  
Patting my fingers across my desk, I decide to pick up my phone to call one of my maids for help. I shakily grasp onto it and pull it towards my view. Unlocking it and looking through the menu again, I'm revisited by the voice mail notification... The sickening feeling in my stomach turned much worse. I feel like throwing up.  
Why? What's wrong with me? Was it my stress from today finally catching up? Or was it my lack of sleep? I've never felt this awful before.

My thumb shakily clicks its way through my Contacts list. I just have to make it to the Maids section.  
 _M. M._ I have to slide to _'M'_.  
I have to repeat this information in my dizzying head, otherwise I feel like I'll easily lose my train of thought. The screen scrolls rapidly and halts itself halfway into the 'M' section - and the first name I see is _'Midoriya Izuku'_.  
I hover my thumb over his icon, ready to press it.  
I throw the smartphone to the floor.

 _What in the world am I doing?_ Completely confused and terrified over what's happening, I retreat from the reach of what I've thrown... and end up tripping over my bag. I hit my bed with a loud 'thud' and instinctively curl myself into a ball against its sheets - cradling the nauseating pain that's running laps between my stomach and head.  
 _Why is this happening to me?_ I sob into my pillow, unable to stand the sickness any longer. I feel like I'm going to die like this, and there's nothing I can do stop it. _What did I do to deserve this?_

" _Midoriya..._ " I end up whimpering his name, though I'm not sure why.

In the worst way possible, I fulfill one of my plans for the night: by crying myself to sleep.


	4. My Problem

Over a week has passed since that dreadful night.  
I had felt off, weary, and exhausted the morning following that fit - and as expected, I performed horribly in that day's classes as well. For eight more days I chronically suffered through the same crippling symptoms - and my academic performance suffered with me. Though, thankfully, I didn't cry myself to sleep _every_ night.  
My repeating, impaired judgements and bitter attitudes became a notable concern among the academy's faculty. After a visit to Recovery Girl, a talk with the Principal, a few calls to my (working overseas) parents, and a few personal discussions with my teachers - the school made the decision to allow the continuation of my class admittance and test permissions, so long as I visited the Nurse's Office before the start of every school day. It was a hassleous requirement, but one I accepted without question.  
I wasn't going to let a little sickness and tiredness get in the way of my dream of becoming a Pro Hero.  
Aside from the school's and my permanent record's concerns, my close friends also worried over me day after day. My mysterious sickness and its unknown cause had become the main focus in all their interactions with me. As a group, they tried comforting me. As individuals, they did their best to counsel me. The former attempt made me smile - but alleviated none of my symptoms. The latter was a disaster, one after the other, each for their own reasons.

Mina had been the first to speak with me privately, but her overly-playful treatment caused me to snap at her more than once - preventing any further talks.

Toru was the next to try, but her indirect approaches only made me wary of sharing my thoughts with her.

Jiro was third in line and was by far the most effective in getting me to talk - but after hearing my complaints out in full, she told me that she was just as confused as I was.

Tsuyu was last, and was the most unhelpful of them all. Rather than her being overwhelmed by my words and actions, she remained calm and heard me through with surprising patience... but the response she left me with drove me mad:  
 _"You won't like what I'd have to say. So I won't say anything. Sorry."_

In my better days, I would have gladly accepted their painfully failed attempts with an understanding heart. But as I am these days, stressed and growing ever more cranky, I could only feel mistreated and abandoned by them. Deep down, I knew I could forgive them. I just had no outward desire to.

In my building frustrations, I reached out to one more person I felt I could trust: a girl in class 1-B named Kendo Itsuka. Her general outlook in life and class responsibilities matched mine in almost every way - aside from her boldness that outshone my confidence by a good margin.  
Speaking with her always felt like I was bouncing ideas off of a better version of myself. An act that would crush me with envy and depression at first, but make me glad over the experience soon afterwards. Knowing this, I sought her advice in this time of immense need.  
But sadly, like with my close friends and the school's faculty, speaking with her failed to find any clear solutions for my stress-built issues.

 _"I'd be in the same boat as you,"_ was her overall answer, summarized, _"I wouldn't know what to do with myself other than carry on."_

It was an answer that was as reassuring as it was depressing. If my better self thought the same as me, then the path I was taking couldn't have been a bad one. On the other hand, if the path I was taking wasn't a bad one, then why was it negatively affecting me like this?  
Something about this wasn't adding up at all.

"Something about this doesn't add up, though." Kendo echoes my exact thoughts, making me snap back to my current reality.

I blink and look around.  
That's right, I'm in the cafeteria still. In my tired mind, I thought I was back at home, struggling to study the incoherent notes that I took today. Mina and Toru were texting me photos of a weird-looking cat... _Did that actually happen?_ I check my phone.

"Momo." a familiar voice calls out to me.

Oh, right, it's Kendo. We're having a conversation right now. I put away my phone. _Why was I looking at my phone?_

"Do you remember anything else about the night you got sick?" Kendo asks me... For a moment I thought she was Recovery Girl. Recovery Girl asked me the same exact question before. I think.

I reach into my pocket and pull out a small case. Opening it, I look over the number of pills left inside. I'm supposed to take one during lunch, I remembered.  
The case closes on its own. _No_ , someone closed it. _Kendo closed it?_ I look up at her, confused.

"You already took one, Momo." she says pityingly, giving me a very worried look. The look irritates me a little. It's the same look Mina gives me. If Mina's so concerned, then why does she play everything off like a joke? _Wait, where is Mina?_ Why am I sitting with Kendo again? My thoughts are in an awful state now, I can tell that much.  
Maybe I haven't taken my pill yet.

"Momo, you already took one." Kendo tells me. I think this is the second time she's said it. If it is, then I really am in terrible shape.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry." I put away the pill case, then proceed to pull out a notebook from my bag. "Do... Do you have the notes from our last lesson? I zoned out at the end, and-"

"Momo, I'm not in your class."

 _Right._ Of course. I slap my face hard, then shake my head. My mind doesn't feel any less addled, but at least I'm more awake.  
"I'm sorry about this, Kendo." I half-whine towards her, trying to keep my thoughts in-line, "It's just been a while since I've had a good night's sleep. I think I get three hours at average now."

"That's awful! Are you sure you should be here then? If you bring it up with Recovery Girl, I'm sure they can give you a medical-"

My hands are about to slam onto the table, but I pull them back immediately. I'm quickly losing my temper again.  
"I already spoke with her about it, and the other faculty members. They all said the same thing." I reply, saying this for the tenth time on campus in a week, "But having time out of class isn't working. I'm like this even on my days off. I'd only be risking my grades and permanent records further by taking a permitted leave. And getting better medical help isn't working either. My father already called in foreign doctors to check in on me - and they all say the same thing: _'It's stress'_. Stress, stress, stress. I _'need a psychiatrist more than a doctor'_."

"Then why not-"

I swing out the pill case from my pocket and shake it. "That's where I got these from! They're supposed to help keep me calm! Or... was it for memory retention? Focus? Did I bring the wrong pills?" I begin to murmur to myself, worrying over which pills I left at home.

"Whatever they're for - they're not working." Kendo tells me. Tsuyu's said that to me numerous times too. I'd be upset, but I actually agree with that sentiment. I don't stop myself from taking the prescribed amount, however. That would be disrespectful to the psychiatrist's position.  
"Momo, stop! You already took one!" She snatches the pill out of my hand just as I'm about to toss it into my mouth. She takes the pill case as well.

I look up too late to see where she hid them. "Kendo, I need those."

"No you don't!" she says to me in an upset tone. Kendo closes her eyes and sighs. Relaxing her shoulders, she looks back at me and speaks more softly, "Momo, I need you to think hard for me... What happened on the night you first got sick?"

"I was trying to get to bed..." I answer her, groggily. The mentioned of the word 'bed' makes me tired.

"What else?" she pushes.

"I had a rough day that day."

"Why's that?"

"I didn't do so well on my tests."

"Was it that bad?"

" _I... I received an 83 on one of them._ " I say with a choke, almost bursting into tears. That was the lowest score I've been graded since Primary Home Schooling.

"Oh." Kendo gives me an unamused stare. Is she looking down on me? "Anything else?"

"I didn't get much sleep the night before, which is why I didn't do so well on my tests."

"And why's that?"

"Because I didn't get much sleep the night before."

"Not that. I mean 'why didn't you get much sleep'?"

"Because Mina and Toru kept texting me about the date. Mina's the girl-"

"I know, I've met them. What about the date?"

"What date?"

"The _date_ they were texting you about."

"Right. Um... Mina saw me on a date that day."

"Was it a bad date? A nice date?"

"I don't know..."

"Why was it - Wait. _Huh?_ " Kendo blinks. "Hold on, repeat that."

"I don't know?"

"You _don't know_ if you had a nice date or not? What, was it boring?"

"No, I didn't think it was boring."

"So then what's stopping you from knowing if it was nice or not?"

"I don't know. It was just kind of inconsequential. A forgettable date, I guess."

Kendo leans forward, making me look into her eyes. They're glaring hard at me. Questioning me. For what reason, I have no clue. " _Uh huh._ " she noises sarcastically, " _You_ , who let me borrow ten romance novels in the last two months, don't think that your very first date was consequential. And despite not thinking it was boring, you still found it forgettable."

"... Yes?"

"So was the date forgettable, or was your date forgettable?"

"Pardon?"

"The guy you dated! Was the day you had with him forgettable, or was he forgettable?"

"I... _um..._ I guess it was the guy."

"Oh? And who was the 'lucky', forgettable guy? A blind date?"

"No. It was... _-ri..a._ "

Kendo puts her hand to her ear and leans even closer. I have to bend back a little just so she doesn't cup my mouth with her gesture. "What's that, Momo? Couldn't hear you."

"Midoriya." I say, audibly this time.

"Midoriya?" She returns her stare towards me. A smirk runs across her lips as she folds her arms. She looks like Jiro right now. "And what about Midoriya _'Full of Surprises'_ Izuku do you find forgettable?"

"I don't know. He just kind of is."

"Specifics, Momo. Give me specifics."

"If I could remember them, then wouldn't he be less forgettable?"

Kendo waggles her finger in front of my face. The rude gesture makes me want to bite her finger off... though that would be very rude. "No, _no_ , Mo, _mo_." she enunciates with a teasing tune. "You can't get around my intuition with a dodgy answer like that. Something happened between you two that day, and that's what's bothering you."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because it's the only thing you've said so far that isn't cyclical. You can't be stressed and tired because you're stressed and tired because you're stressed and tired. Reasons don't stay perpetual unless you force them to be. But by forcing them, it proves that they aren't perpetual. Stop writing this down and pay attention!" Kendo snatches the mechanical pencil from my hand.  
I stare at my notebook for a few seconds, wondering why I was taking notes on 'Perpetual Proof v Forced Reasoning'. Kendo's snapping fingers turns my gaze towards her.  
"Plus, your mind just wandered again." she adds.

"My mind's been wandering all day."

"You had it focused on our conversation for a good while. It only broke off when we started trying to figure out what was wrong with you. Specifically, when I started asking you about Midoriya."

"What about him?"

Kendo sighs hoarsely, exhausted. Looks like I ended up confusing someone with my problems again. "You know what?" Her fingertips begin rubbing at her temples. "I'll handle this."

My head tilts tiredly. "Handle what?"

"Nothing." she says just as the second lunch bell rings, "I'll text you later okay?" She picks up her food tray and disappears into the exiting crowds. I guess it's time for me to head back to class as well.

Before I forget, I reach into my pocket and search its confines... Sliding my hands through both flaps and my bag, I quickly realize that a familiar casing is missing from my person. I groan to myself.

" _I forgot my pills at home._ " I hiss in disappointment.


	5. My Fight

Kendo never texted me like she said she would.  
It's been two days, and I haven't heard from her. I haven't even seen her on campus.  
Suspiciously enough, Mina, Toru, Tsuyu, and Jiro have been actively avoiding me since two days ago. I wondered if she had contacted them and somehow convinced them to start shunning me. Maybe to plot something behind my back, or to break ties with me due to my ill behaviors.  
Whichever it is, I'm fine with it. I have more time to focus on my studies and duties as Class VP now. And with exhaustion slowing my every thought nowadays, I need all the time I can get.

A hard round blasts through the window, shattering pieces of glass onto the floor beside me. From the fact that it was a single bullet and not a flurry of them, added with the odd angle of the shot, even my lethargic mind could figure out that it wasn't aimed at us. Another battle must be occurring below us, at street level, and the true target could be leaping, or flying, forcing the bullets to miss their mark and end up here - at the 7th floor. It might be Uraraka, or Tsuyu, that the bullet was meant for. Knowing either of them, they're probably acting as a diversion for another team's attack.

"They're right below us. It's Asui and Mineta. They're trying to distract him while Kaminari and Kirishima attack from behind." Shoji describes the scene below with a near perfect match to my guess. I may be slower than I was before, but that doesn't make me any less perceptive.

"Thanks, Shoji." I say to him as I get back to work. My eyes scan the small booklet's contents over and over, trying to memorize and apply its design into my body's Quirk. It takes a while to get the size and shape of the canisters correct, and to fill them with the right blend of chemicals - without overfilling or underfilling the chamber. It takes just as much time and concentration to close them off and prepare their triggers - without causing them to detonate while they're still inside me.  
At my prime, I'm able to make four of these in about fifteen minutes. With how I am now, I can only make one in that amount of time.  
But I don't need to rush now. Without distractions and unnecessary concerns, I have all the time in the world to focus on my works. And with a quiet partner like Shoji, I can put all of my focus into this.

"How much time do you need?" Shoji asks.

"LET ME FOCUS!" I snap at him.

"S-Sorry..." The large multi-limbed man takes a step back and turns away. He reaches one of his arms out of the window to continue his surveillance.

I sigh in frustration. I want to apologize to him, but doing so won't mean anything if I just snap at him again. There's no guarantee that I won't with my current stress levels.  
"Give me another thirty minutes." I ask of him meekly. "I'll make two more then we can go."

Shoji nods. His daunting features make it difficult for me to read him, but I'm worried that he's nervous to have me as his partner.  
Who wouldn't be? I have more anger issues than Bakugo now. Bakugo's even congratulated me for it. How far have I fallen from my peers' respects, I wonder? Though their opinions of me really shouldn't be my main concern.  
It's my instructor's opinion, and my current task, that I have to prove myself to.

Our assigned task is to rescue a hostage from a Villain, before the hostage can be removed from the environment via a getaway vehicle. Our environment is downtown-urban-based, with hollow high-rises, alleyways, parked vehicles, and too-open streets being its main obstacles. The hostage is a female mannequin currently located at a bus stop in front of the fake City Hall. The Villain is Mr. Aizawa, also known in the Pro-scene as 'Eraserhead', equipped with a bare M4 Carbine altered to only accept custom rubber bullet magazines. He has full access to his Quirk, and striking any 'Heroes' (us) with a single bullet (on a body part that's not detachable) marks the 'Hero' as 'dead'. The getaway vehicle's build is currently unknown. It could be a van, an armored vehicle, or a helicopter.  
Our limitations are three-fold: One, we're placed into a random part of the city and are not given the locations of the Villain, hostage, getaway vehicle, or other teams. Two, we're put into two-man teams and cannot succeed separately from them (either members being shot means that both lose, either member rescuing the hostage without the other member won't count as a victory). Three, if the Villain escapes with the hostage via a getaway vehicle, or if all teams are decommissioned, then all participating students will fail this test. On the bright side: If any one team succeeds in getting the hostage into the safe zone, then every student passes this test.  
It's a basic enough training exercise with its layout. But with the three limitations placed on us, and with Eraserhead pit against us, this simple task feels impossible to succeed in.  
Nevertheless, we have to try.

"Asui and Mineta have been shot." Shoji updates me on the situation below, "Kaminari's taking cover. Kirishima is trying to make his way to the hostage... Nevermind, he was just shot. They're out."

I shake my head. They should've known a straightforward approach wouldn't work. Bakugo and Mina already proved that.  
Even if we all teamed up together against Mr. Aizawa, the one-shot-death rule would ensure that we'd all lose in a frontal assault. We're better off playing it smart and indirectly.

The sound of incoming footsteps causes Shoji and I to put our guards up. But our guards immediately fall away once we realize who's at the doorway. Or rather, who's _not_ at the doorway.  
There's no one seen standing at the entrance of our pseudo-hotel room, but the sounds of coughing and heavied breaths betrays the sight. Hagakure Toru is there, either completely naked, or wearing some new, advanced suit that reflects her Quirk. Knowing her, it's the former.

"Sh... Shoji! Haff... Have you seen Oji... ro?" she gasps terribly, sounding as if she's about to faint.

"Ojiro? No, I haven't."

"Okay, thanks, sorry!" she heaves. The sound of distancing footsteps reveals that she had quickly left us.

Shoji clears his throat and returns to his post. "I wonder why she decided to ask me. She should've seen you first, from where she was standing." he mentions in tried confusion.  
Even Shoji could tell the obvious: I was just outright ignored by Toru. Shoji's rhetorical wondering was only to show that he was on my side of the awkward situation.

"She's just trying to avoid my bad mood." I answer him, half-lying. The visible reminder that I was being avoided by my friends put me back into a terrible mood. "Let's get this over with." I growl.

"You're finished?" Shoji looks over at my work area - four fist-sized canisters are laid across the bed.  
Smoke grenades, military-grade. Each powerful enough to completely obscure a medium-sized room. Though they lose their effectiveness out in open wind.

"What's our plan?" he asks me.

"Are you able to control your limbs if they're separated from you?"

He stiffens. Maybe detaching them is a painful process. "N-No. The most I can do is have them repeat an action. They repeat whatever command I gave them just before they were cut off, slowing down over time, until they vanish."

"How about a delayed action? Like _'wait to throw'_ or _'press in ten seconds'_?"

"I've never tried it..."

I hand him three of the canisters. "We'll have to try it. We're going to head towards the brick building nearest City Hall. I'll give you the instructions there, then we'll split up."

"Got it."

The two of us pace ourselves down the stairways, keeping our ears out for any further sounds of gunshots. They were too distant to tell which direction they were coming from, but the boom of gunfire rang twice before we could make it to ground floor. In gesturing silence, we crept our way from building to building, using cars and alleys to obscure any direct view of us.  
After what seemed like an hour (though it was probably only minutes), we made it to the squat, brick building just a block away from the fake City Hall. We scurried ourselves inside and hid behind a desk that faced one of the front windows. From there, I explained my plan to Shoji.

My plan was simple: Three smoke grenades would be launched in an area opposite of the hostage, and the fourth would be used as a safety. The three would act as a diversion, and as a bluff - making Eraserhead think he was being ambushed from three sides. Then while his attention was turned away and blinded by the smoke (which he would hesitate from taking his eyes off of), I would grab the hostage, and keep the fourth grenade ready in case the diversion wasn't enough.  
Shoji would be in charge of throwing the three initial grenades, with his detachable arms activating the smoke grenades after they've hit the ground... simply triggering the grenades and throwing them from a safe distance (that Mr. Aizawa can't immediately spot) would make smoke trails point towards the direction of where they were thrown - betraying Shoji's position and falsifying our bluff.  
This plan wasn't guaranteed to work. In fact, its chances of succeeding are low. But it's the best plan I could come up with for now. And if I were to stall any longer with my actions, then I'd increase the Villain's chances of getting away...  
... I'd increase the chances of Mr. Aizawa deciding that I'm not cut out to take classes in my condition.  
I can't allow that to happen. I have to prove myself to him.

The plan is initiated. I slid my way to one of the buildings closest to City Hall, with my back on its opposite-facing wall. Hiding inside the building would be too obvious. Being on its roof would make it too difficult for me to get to the hostage in time. The opposite wall, while obvious as well, is too open for anyone to consider using - making it the least obvious place for Eraserhead to check.  
After seconds pass, I hear the whispering hiss of a smoke grenade. That should be the first one, placed beside a recently opened manhole (one that Tsuyu used to get closer to the hostage)... That should get Eraserhead's immediate attention.

Rapid gunfire is heard. He took the bait.

One more hiss - the second grenade, placed at an alleyway diagonal from the manhole.  
More barking gunfire.

Then the last hiss - belonging to the third grenade, placed at the front of a shopping center's open doorway.  
Together, the three clouds of smoke make a triangle. And if my guess is correct: The order of their activations should put Mr. Aizawa right at the center of them - blocked from the City Hall's view.  
Now's my chance.

At the sound of spraying gunfire, I force myself into a sprint - going around the building's corner and bolting towards the bus stop in front of City Hall. The mannequin hostage is still there. Great.  
I wrap a breathing mask around my mouth - one designed to help regulate a person's heavy breathing while they're exercising. It's my first time making one, let alone trying one on, but it surprises me how well it actually works - I'm confident I can make the run to the other side without over-stressing my lungs.  
The mannequin is just a few leaps away now.  
Gunshots and ricochets are still bursting against glass and brick. Mr. Aizawa's testing each of the areas clouded by smoke - it'll only be a matter of time before he figures out they're all empty.  
I make it to the hostage, but I don't have time to slow myself down to pick it up - I grab its wrist just as I pass it by, dragging it, then hefting it onto my shoulders a few steps later. Its weight slows me down a tiny bit, but my breathing mask keeps me from struggling with the change. Now I all have to do is make it to the other side of the street and get behind the building's walls.

A swarm of bullets scrape the ground ahead of me. He's already spotted me, and his gunfire was meant to make me stop or slow down. Shooting directly at me would risk shooting the hostage, which goes against his goal as the Villain - I calculated that.  
I also calculated that he would find me before I got to cover. Just as those bullets hit the ground, with a squinted effort, I had loosed my last Quirk-made item: A high-impact riot shield.  
It's something that takes up a lot of time to make, due to its size and shock-absorbing nature, but I had been preparing it since Shoji and I split. Had Eraserhead spotted me just a few seconds earlier than he did, I wouldn't have been able to pull it out.  
With the riot shield strapped to my arm, I push my running pace rather than halt to his gunfire. The irritated grunt in the distance tells me that he didn't expect this development. His Quirk allows him to cancel out other people's Quirks, but my Creation Quirk is only active when it's forming and producing: Already-made items are not a part of my Quirk - they can't be removed from me with his gaze. Equipped with a riot shield and a smoke grenade, at this distance, I have the advantage against him.  
Eraserhead blasts into my riot shield. These shields aren't entirely bullet-proof, but I'm confident that it'll hold. Armor-piercing can eat through this easily, high calibur rounds can shatter pieces off, low calibur can eventually break it apart. But rubber bullets will skid right off.  
The impact still pushes me around, and I still have to worry about being struck at my feet or at the top of my head (I made the shield smaller than my body so I could still run with it), but so long as I keep up my speed and rebalance where I need to: I should make it to cover safely. And once I'm behind it, I can use my smoke grenade to secure my escape.  
I'm knocked off balance again... though this time, in the opposite direction. Not expecting the shift, I stumble sideways. I'm able to keep myself from completely falling over by quick-stepping myself towards the fall. Though, confusingly, I continue to be pulled in that direction. It takes me a moment to realize: I _am_ being pulled.

Looking at my riot shield, I'm stunned to find bands of Mr. Aizawa's scarf wrapped tightly around it. I want to let go of it and run - but doing so will make me open to his M4's shots - but not doing so will only drag me closer to him, and further from my destination!  
My eyes go wide in fear, as I see Mr. Aizawa's figure come closer and closer. I'm not only being pulled towards him: he's slowly walking towards me.  
His slow movement shows that he's staying cautious, aware - like a predator approaching a cornered prey. He's probably thinking that I have another trick up my sleeve.  
The thought of his cautiousness reminds me... I _do_ , in fact, have another trick. Though I had been saving it for my covered escape, I reach for my smoke grenade - prepping to trigger and throw it between us.

I can't feel the grenade on my belt.  
I risk a look down to my hip, and am horrified to find that my smoke grenade is no longer attached to me. It's by the bus stop, where the hostage was. It must have detached from me while I was being thrown off balance, and it rolled over there somehow.  
I should have secured it better. I should have made two for myself. I should have done so many things that I can no longer do now - as Mr. Aizawa keeps his Quirk locked onto me.  
There's nothing I can do now... He angles his rifle. I'll be shot soon. This'll be over.  
The sounds of annoyed grunts brings my attention back to Eraserhead. Two uneven limbs are on him, pulling and punching at his neck, hair, and face. They're Shoji's detached arms. He must have thrown them at some point to try and help me.  
That's all he can really do for me. Doing anything more would get himself shot sooner than myself.  
It's a smart move, and a heartening effort - but it is a futile one. The arms can't be directly controlled by Shoji after they've been detached. All they're doing now is flailing wildly with a dying command. So though they punch and pull and poke and slap - none of them can force Mr. Aizawa to turn away... none of them can save me.

" _Someone..._ " I whisper without my knowing, " _...help._ "

"SMAAAAAAAAASH!"  
The smoke behind Eraserhead disperses with an explosion of air. Dirt and debris burst outwards, followed by a deafening 'BOOM' that forces my chest to question the beat of my heart.  
A gale picks up, sliding me back three or four steps. Mr. Aizawa, on the other hand, is pulled completely off his feet and thrown past an intersection, past a building, past myself, the bus stop, and towards one of the pillars of City Hall. My shield follows after him, dragged away by his scarf.  
Eraserhead uses the shield as a hook for his scarf, wrapping it around the pillar and swinging himself onto his feet. He fixes his balance and looks up - past me, and towards the lone figure standing at the center of the street.

Midoriya Izuku, seen through a swirl of fading smoke, holds out his arm in defiance. The ever-determined face of a brave Hero graces his features, hiding the unconfident and shy boy that our class knows him as.  
He pins down a finger with his thumb, then shouts, "Yaoyorozu! Get out of the way!"

My eyes widen. I realize that I've been standing in the same position since getting dragged, in shock of the events around me. I grit my teeth and leap onto the sidewalk, forcefully dragging myself into cover.

"SMAAAAAAASH!" Midoriya yells, and another explosion occurs - then immediately afterwards: a second and third one.

Through the 'BOOM' of his strikes, no one could hear the sounds of gunfire. Eraserhead had fired several short bursts towards Midoriya, knowing that the boy would defend himself with another 'Smash' attack. Though he hadn't counted on multiple 'Smash'es nullifying every shot he made.  
One gale of wind knocked aside the first two bursts of rubber bullets. A second one destroyed three. And the third one was just for good measure.  
The force of the gales, domino'd against each other, pushes Eraserhead back, rips the rifle from his hands, then knocks him hard against the column behind him.  
The sound of bone hitting marble was audible, even from my distance. Watching Mr. Aizawa bounce the back of his head against the column made me gasp.  
Though he's a Villain for our test, he's still our teacher. My worry for him lingers, even as he shakes off the injury and approaches Midoriya. His movement is slow and steady. I thought it was due to the concussion, but I soon realized that it was so he could keep his eyes locked onto Midoriya while he retrieved his gun.  
There were no more sudden bursts of wind or roars of "SMASH" coming from the length of the road. Eraserhead had locked down Midoriya's Quirk.  
He's a sitting duck. But his partner should come and save him now, right?

I peek around my cover, looking everywhere I could - into alleyways, further down the street, into windows, the tops of buildings... The only one other person I could find is Shoji, who's hiding behind cover, unsure of what he could do without risking everything... just like me.  
Yet here was Midoriya. By himself. Risking all that he had just so he could save me.  
This is what makes him a true Hero.  
And what makes us so incompatible.

"ERASERHEAD!" I roar as I charge him.

Without turning towards me, he quickly points his M4 at me and fires.

"I'm not out yet!" I yell in challenge.  
The sounds of his bullets 'thump'ing away and my words make him turn towards me in suspicion. With the riot shield back in my hands, I remain untouched. He should have detached the shield from his scarf.  
I yank hard with the shield, dragging him towards me. His shoulders adjust to aim the rifle towards my opening. In my position, I can't avoid it. But this attack wasn't intended to win. It was intended to save Midoriya.

"COWLING-!" Midoriya roars as he closes the distance. He grabs onto Eraserhead's shirt and flexes. "-THROW!" Just before the Villain could fire his rounds, the Hero swings him from his arm and back, in circles, before launching him forward and upwards, to the top of City Hall.  
The figure of Mr. Aizawa spins away, being carried off by the immeasurable force of Midoriya's throw. His shape becomes smaller and smaller as it continues to fly, until it vanishes from our view.  
A helicopter that had been waiting at a nearby rooftop, takes off and follows after the disappeared Villain.

"Will he be alright?" are the first words I've said to Midoriya Izuku in two weeks. Why I've avoided speaking to him for so long, I can no longer recall. How I remember the exact amount of days since, is even more puzzling.

He looks upwards, watching the helicopter circle around a cluster of highrises. "I think so..." is the second sentence he's said to me in two weeks. Like me, he seems a little confused to be conversing again.

Have things always been this awkward between us? What was it that made us start avoiding each other?

"He always finds a way to save himself from falls." Midoriya says after clearing his throat.

"Even with a concussion?"

"Concussion?" He looks at me, alarmed.

I stand up and approach him, ignoring the awkwardness between us. There's something far more important on the line. Our teacher's life.  
I look down at Midoriya in judging disappointment. "You didn't notice, Midoriya? One of your attacks made Mr. Aizawa hit the back of his head against a wall."

"It did?" He looks genuinely worried. Which annoys me. He should have been more careful.

I'm ready to raise my voice and lecture him over his recklessness, but the faint sound of gunshots catches me off guard. Bullets fly wildly, striking the tops of buildings and bouncing off the street. It's so wide and indiscriminate in its aim, that I can't even claim that it was shot around us. But it certainly was aimed at us.  
Pulling our attentions back to the sky, Midoriya and I see the helicopter flying towards us. A small, yet unmistakeable, figure of Eraserhead is strapped to the helicopter's side. Small flashes appear, and the distant bark of gunfire, confirm that it's him.

"How did he survive that?" I ask in disbelief. I stand in front of Midoriya, holding the riot shield (which I managed to pull away from Eraserhead as he flew off) up to guard the both of us.

"Like I said. He always finds a way to land his falls." Midoriya answers as he stands closer to me.

A door opens nearby. It's Shoji.  
"Shoji, grab the hostage!" I yell at him and gesture towards the cover I fell into earlier. He nods his head and runs to grab it. "Get it to the safety zone! I'll meet you there!"  
Shield still held in defense, I backstep Midoriya and I into an alleyway to gain more cover. "Where's your partner?" I ask behind me quickly.

"Uraraka is a few blocks back. I asked her to make me lighter so I could run out here as fast as I could."

"Why would you come here without her?"

"So I could run here as fast as I could."

"I know that. But why?"

"Because you looked like you needed help."

My cheeks burn. But I'm more upset by his words than charmed.

" _I didn't need you to save me._ " I say to him with a hiss. I turn around and gesture him to follow me. With us deep into the alleyway, we're safe enough to start running. And while I don't have the place completely mapped out in my mind, I have a general idea of which routes we could take to get to the safe zone whilst avoiding the aerial gunfire.

Midoriya follows after me, running as I run. "Would it have been better if I didn't?"

"It's not that I don't appreciate it, Midoriya-"

"Glad to help."

"Let me finish! It's not that I don't appreciate it, but you didn't need to go out of your way for it. You should have just stuck with Uraraka and taken advantage of the situation. With Mr. Aizawa focused on me, you could have gotten the hostage yourself."

"Isn't it better that you're still here - working with us?"

"Not really. With Shoji and I, with your team, we're a larger target now. And because of our uneven attacks, now Mr. Aizawa has a helicopter to chase us down in."

"As long as we get the hostage into the safety zone, then-"

"And how are we supposed to do that? He'll have an aerial view between us and the safety zone. He'll have a clear shot once we're out in the open!"

"He can't stop all of our Quirks."

"He won't need to. This is what I meant when I said our attacks were uneven. Your way and my way of handling things conflict completely. We're not helping each other like this."

"You helped me out back there. He almost took me out, but you stopped him."

"And I almost got shot for it. We both could have lost right then and there from that gamble. We were lucky. That's it."

"I can't argue that."

"Then you can't argue that we can't keep depending on luck for this."

"So what should we depend on?"

"A plan."

"What's the plan?"

"The main concern isn't what it is, but whose it is. Either you or I take lead from here on. And whoever has the better plan, we follow through with it entirely. Otherwise, we're just going to get in the way of each other."

"Then I'll go with your plan. You take the lead."

"You haven't even suggested your plan."

"I trust you."

"I wish I could say the same." I shake my head. "Sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I'm just frustrated."

"That's fine. So what's the plan?"

I let out a hoarse sigh. Does he always have to be so blindly complaisant? Why won't he at least try his hand at leading? Why won't he push to ask me what's wrong? Why would he trust me after we've avoided each other for two weeks straight? He's agreeable to an irritating fault.  
"This plan needs Uraraka." I start, deciding that it was better to avoid the argument.

* * *

After a cat and mouse chase through a maze of alleyways, Midoriya and I finally reach our destination: An empty Community Center built near the entrance of this Simulation Zone. About a half block's length of open road lies before it. And at its end, just at the front of the main gate, is the safety zone. There are no walls, covers, or alternate routes between here and there. This area ahead of us is, by design, a no-man's-land. Anyone attempting to cross it would immediately place themselves in their enemy's line of fire - Hero or Villain.  
And with our Villain being Eraserhead, equipped with a one-hit-kill assault rifle, and having gained the advantage of an aerial view: it was painfully obvious who owned this line of fire.  
We couldn't be counted out yet, however. Shoji was already in the safety zone, with hostage in hand.  
I'm sure Mr. Aizawa must be frustrated seeing my partner there. Midoriya and I had kept him distracted, baiting him with a false mannequin I had made while we were on the run. Now, all it takes is for me to step into the safe zone for this test to count as a victory for the students. He isn't going to allow that, I'm sure. Which is why we picked up Uraraka along the way.

I dash out of cover, carrying a bullet-proof shell over my head. It's a modified version of the riot shield I had been carrying, with an impractical redesign - in any other situation, especially one facing real bullets, this item would be useless. But just for this situation: it's perfect.  
Rubber projectiles 'ping' and 'pang' off of the dome-like shield, protecting me like an umbrella would from the rain.  
These raindrops are heavy, however. I'm pushed to my knees and sideways several times - the impact of the bullets being too much for me to balance against. I push on regardless.  
Threatened by my closing distance, the helicopter lowers itself, hovering just above the safety zone. From that angle, Eraserhead can aim for my stomach or legs, while keeping a safe distance from any would-be attackers.  
I knew he would play it smart.

"NOW!" I shout as loud as I can.

Midoriya leaps out of the Community Center's back entrance, with Uraraka Ochaco on his back. With their combined Quirks, Midoriya is moving at a lightning-fast speed. Even if Eraserhead were to remove one of their Quirks, they'd still keep a pace faster than any normal human. They easily pass me, rushing through like a speeding car.  
Now Eraserhead has to make the choice: Continue shooting at me, or shoot at them. His current angle can't manage both in time. I have Shoji waiting for me, and Uraraka is already attached to Midoriya - if either of us make it to the safety zone, it will count as a win. And with the little distance we have left: There's little chance Eraserhead could stop both of us in a single burst.

Then the unexpected happened.

Mr. Aizawa leaps down from the helicopter gracefully, directly blocking our paths with his aim.  
It's a very simple strategy, but it works perfectly: all it takes is for him to spray his bullets horizontally to take us all out at once (whereas his previous diagonal vantage could have lowered his accuracy).  
I can't believe I overlooked this possibility. It was the most obvious outcome.  
With his gun raised, Mr. Aizawa aims at Midoriya and Uraraka. The duo had slowed down significantly, showing that it was Midoriya's Quirk that was 'erased'. As they are now, there's no chance they'll be able to avoid shots from the front. And I can't defend them from this distance. Not that it would matter at this point.

This is it. It's finally over. From what we had gathered on our way here - Midoriya and I were the last teams standing in this test. No one would be coming to our rescue. And no one would take up our task after we've failed. We were the last hope. And now, we've lost. We've all lost.

"YAOYOROZU!" Midoriya yells towards me, "NOW!"

... Now? Now _what_? Did I forget something? I look at the sides of my belt. There's nothing there. Was there supposed to be?  
I look up at Eraserhead, to see if there was an opening for me to exploit. He's staring back at me, though his gun is still aimed at the other two.

"SMAAAAAASH!"

My ears ring loudly, feeling as if I just went deaf. Though my hearing's the least of my concerns. I'm off the ground, flying through the air at an incredible speed. An air current as powerful as a whirwind had picked me up and thrust me forward. It's almost like one of Midoriya's 'Delaware Smash'es hit me. But there's no way it could have struck me in this direction: he was ahead of me.

"AAAAH!" "OUCH OUCH! OWWW!" are the first sounds that reach my ears just as my hearing returns. I've already flown past them, but only now do I notice that Midoriya and Uraraka are being shot at. I also notice that Midoriya had his back turned - facing towards where I had been standing.  
My eyes follow the angle... finding a large crater of shattered asphalt.  
 _Astounding..._ Midoriya had managed to strike the ground beneath my feet with one of his 'Smash'es, to propel me forward. He had done it the instant Eraserhead turned towards me.  
It was a gamble. It was a gamble that he'd land the shot. It was a gamble that I'd be launched forward with it. It was a gamble that Eraserhead would fall for his bluff. All of them were really stupid gambles. But they worked. I can't believe they worked.

I fly past Eraserhead.  
With my adrenaline high, I can see the world moving in slow motion. Eraserhead is just now turning his gun towards me, his eyes going wide in disbelief. Uraraka is clutching her chest as she falls to the ground. Midoriya is looking back, towards me, with a grin of satisfaction.  
I fly further and further away from the scene, tumbling and turning with the wind... and just as I'm spun forward, I see the astonished face of Shoji. He stands at the edge of the safety zone, unable to leave it or affect anything outside of it, holding the mannequin in his arms. One of his arms reaches towards me. I have to touch it. I just have to touch it in order for us to win.  
Gunfire cracks.  
It may just be my imagination, but I swear I could hear the air popping from the bullets' force. They're moving much faster than I am, and it's only a matter of nanoseconds until one of them reaches me.  
I have to reach Shoji first. Though I know that's impossible.

It's moments like these that I realize just how limited my Quirk is - how frail I am even with it. I don't have any morphing limbs, any super speed, any immediate defense, or any great strengths that could save me from a nearing bullet. If any of the ammunition in this test had been live: I would have been dead long ago. I would be dead now. I will be dead now. By the rules of this test, being struck by a single bullet would count me as 'dead'. There's no way I'll be able to reach Shoji's hand before one of them reaches me, even as our fingertips are about to touch.  
I close my eyes, readying myself for the impact.

My ears deafen again, though it's not ringing loudly as it had done before. In the distance, another sonic boom occurred. If that was Midoriya's doing, then he just broke the rules of this test by using his Quirk after being shot. A gust of air hits me, though it's nowhere near strong enough to push me forward.

 _Wait..._ How did the blast's air reach me before the bullets?

My mind reverses itself in an instant, looking back to when I had first passed Midoriya and Uraraka in my unwanted flight. Midoriya had been facing the opposite way, holding out his arm towards where I had stood... with _two_ fingers flung forward.  
He didn't fire off a 'Smash' towards me, he fired off _two_. This burst of air is from a sonic boom made just a half-moment after the first.  
It's not enough to propel me any further. But it's enough to throw off the trajectory of the bullets!  
The ground below me sparks with ricocheting projectiles. The air above and beside me shred with twirling bullets. Eraserhead's shots went wild, most likely shoved by the explosion of wind - which he was much closer to.  
The effects are only a fluke. And I'm just plain lucky. But it's enough. _It's enough!_

My fingers latch hard onto Shoji's hand, and time returns to normal.  
I tumble forward, crashing into him, and dragging the both of us across the pavement.  
I lay flat on my back - staring into the mid-morning sky.  
There's a pain on my side. Something hard and sharp is jabbing onto my back.  
I reach over, and feel the wood grain of a mannequin.

"Hostage secured." I breathe out. And a loud applause follows.


	6. My Shortcoming

Classes have ended for the day and I'm relieved.

Midoriya and I had been swarmed by our classmates throughout the remaining periods, smothering us with their spontaneous chatters and praise.  
 _'The Bulletproof Duo'_ , one of them coined, was what we were called by a sum of our class. Obviously the two of us hadn't been in the same team, but that term, and how others insisted on treating us, suggested otherwise. Uraraka and Shoji never spoke against this treatment - as the two of them were similarly convinced that Midoriya and I deserved the class' attention. We were treated as MVPs, saviors, real Heroes, all because three students in our class desperately needed a passing score for this test. And those three had riled everyone else up during the exam's last minutes.  
At the time, with adrenaline in our veins and trouble all around: neither of us had noticed the crowd of 'dead'-marked students roaring from the safety zone. With only our teams left in the game, the rest of the class had been cheering hard and long for our victory (spurred on by the desperate three). And when we had won, they only cheered harder and longer for us.  
We even got commendations from Mr. Aizawa. That proud look he gave me following the event let me know that I would be allowed to continue attending U.A. classes, even in my condition. The rest of the school's faculty is sure to agree in that assessment, as I'm sure he'll soon report the results. I'm glad for that. I should be greatly relieved by it too. It was, after all, what I wanted to gain from succeeding in this test.  
But one ( _major_ ) detail doesn't sit well with me...

I didn't win us that exam.

Nor did I come up with the succeeding plan.  
It wasn't my skills - it wasn't my Quirks - that decided the test's final results.  
So what right do I have to accept these praises from my peers? Or this skewed assessment from my teachers? If anything, the events and conclusion of our test today should have proven that I'm still unable to function properly in my condition. My results, under serious observation and consideration, would not find proof that I'm an able and capable student. At the very best, I proved to be a valuable tool for a more capable student. Someone more deserving of this attention.

"Mind if I have a word with you, Midoriya?" I ask, respectfully approaching a trio of friends. Uraraka and Iida look at me with grateful interest.

The dark-green-haired boy turns towards me, and smiles. "Oh! Yaoyorozu! Sure. What's up? Oh and awesome job on our test today! We would've failed if it wasn't for you and Shoji." he says to me.

This is the first time he and I have talked since the exam. Even right up to its end, when our victory was given to us by Mr. Aizawa, we couldn't find a chance to speak with one another - though we had tried. Everyone else's chatter got between our attempts. Repeatedly.  
But I guess during all that time he only wanted to congratulate me... while I've reserved far more things to say to him.

"I highly doubt that my being there ensured our victory. Which is what I wanted to talk to you about." I tell him plainly.

Midoriya gives me a strange, concerned look. "But you and Shoji were the ones that got the hostage to the safety zone. Without you-"

"May I have permission to talk with you?" I ask again, sternly. "In private?"

Midoriya exchanges worried looks with Uraraka and Iida. The two of them excuse him with an approving nod. He turns back to me and nods. "Sure thing."

Down the hallway, into the east wing of the Academy, up a stairwell, to a locked door, and out onto the unroofed floor, we went. It was a long ways getting here, but the location's guaranteed privacy was preferred for this. It's worth the extra exercise.

The school roof. One of many belonging to U.A.'s multiple, multi-leveled buildings. Access to these areas were restricted to teachers, maintenance workers, and event-coordinating students. I happen to be part of the last group, and was entrusted with a key for this particular roof. It's against school rules to use them for something so personal... but I'm tired of dealing with gossip and misunderstandings.  
Here, we don't have to worry over misheard, public judgement.

"What were you thinking?" I ask loudly, walking myself to the center of the empty rooftop.

The wind catches my voice and lets the one behind me hear it clearly. "What do you mean?" he asks me in return, jogging up to my side.

My attention remains forward, focusing on the clouds of the horizon. I refuse to give him eye contact. Mostly for my sake. If I were to even turn towards him, I feel as if my barely-neutral mood would slip.  
"What you did out there, Midoriya." I respond to him distantly, "Today. During the test. What did you think you were doing?"

I can hear the scratching of hair. He's nervous, trying to find the right words to say. "Um... Which part?" he asks me, "At the start of our test? Before we found each other? In the middle? End? Saving you?"

"NO!" I stomp the ground and snap towards him. Those words... _'Saving you'_. They set me off in an instant. I'm not entirely sure why. But now my eyes feel wet and I'm furious. "Right at the end, Midoriya! When you shot me forward like a catapult, you- you dolt!"

He flinches, taken aback. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorr-"

"STOP IT! I'M TIRED OF YOUR SORRY ATTITUDE TOWARDS EVERYTHING! I'M TIRED!" I snap entirely. My patience is always thin during this time of day - with the effects of my medication wearing out. But today's events wore it down to a paper-thin fragility, and made even thinner now that I have to deal with his constantly-apologizing nature. It's not a trait that I missed interacting with, but one that I predicted meeting with again. Which was another reason why I led us here, to the privacy of the east-wing rooftop - where a raised voice couldn't catch the attention of others. My frustration with Midoriya's wishy-washy nature was bound to make me scream, sooner rather than later.  
" _I'm so... so tired._ " I hiss beneath my breath.

Midoriya continues to stand beside me, not responding with movement or sound. His silence is deafening. I'm sure he wants to say something, or act foolishly, because of my visible upset-ness. It's what he does: butt-in with care when they're not welcome nor expected.  
Though this continued quiet, with unnerving hesitation, is also something that 'he does'. It's the dichotomy everyone in the class knows him for. The indecisive standstill of a brave coward.

I clear my throat before he considers forcing himself into an act of 'kindness'.  
"This isn't about what you've done wrong, Midoriya." I say to him with a restrained tone of annoyance, "This is the opposite of that. At the very last moment, you made a decision that saved us all from a failing score. _I_ didn't save us. _We_ didn't save us. _You_. _You_ saved us. You _used_ me and my situation with Shoji to your advantage, and _that's_ what won us that exam. _Not_ 'teamwork' that everyone thinks we achieved mutually."

He opens his mouth to reply, but shuts it immediately into a frown. His eyes look down. His lips furl as he cradles it with his finger. The concerned expression of his face twitches, repeatedly. There's too many thoughts in that murmuring mind of his to choose from. He looks up at me, and opens his mouth again, finally decided on his reply, "But! I thought you said you wanted me to take advantage of your situation?"

I give him a quizzical look.

Midoriya, surprisingly, doesn't back down from his position. "When I first came to help you... You said I shouldn't have. And that I should have just taken advantage of the situation you put Mr. Aizawa in. Or something like that. I might have misheard, but-"

"Well, yes, I did say that." I can feel my eye twitching. "But this was different. You put me in danger with that stunt of yours. You put me in danger without my consent! You used me without a second thought!"

"I... I didn't know I did! I thought I was helping you."

"Helping me how?!"

"Helping you get you to Shoji."

He's dodging the point, whether on purpose or by stupid accident. Or maybe I'm not making my intent clear enough. Though why should I have to work to make him know his fault? Just the thought of me carrying this conversation alone makes me angrier at him.  
I grit my teeth. "Th-That wasn't in the plan, Midoriya! You and Uraraka were supposed to get the hostage from Shoji, remember? I was supposed to be the distraction for Eraserhead!"

"But the plan was made so that either of us could make it there to win."

"That was the failsafe of it, but it wasn't the original design. The original plan I had was that you'd be the one, with Uraraka, to get there! Your team was better suited for the task than I was with Shoji. You were faster, had more options, and would be clear of his first shots!"

"Well you didn't make that clear..."

"And you didn't make it clear that you had another plan!"

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Midoriya Izuku." I growl at him. His body shrinks away from me as I approach him, obviously intimidated by my mood. As he should be. He should at least show that he's the one in the wrong here.  
"That trick you did back there..." I continue, "Where you shot me forward and fired off another 'Smash' to stop the bullets? You wouldn't have been able to come up with that idea. Not that quickly. Even with your fast thinking, there's no way you could have thought of and executed that plan before you and Uraraka were hit. Not even _you_ can react in that short amount of time. That _wasn't_ reactionary."  
I stand just a few steps away from him, straightening my back to its full height - to pressure him with my stare-down. He shrinks even further. It's an exaggerated gesture of surrender, to let me know that he's no longer trying to win in this 'conversation' - not that I was ever going to let him.  
"When you said 'Now!' to me, to throw Mr. Aizawa off... That's evidence - proof that you didn't make it up on the fly. You're not known for lying, Midoriya. You can't shout a bluff like that in an instant without stuttering on your words. That had to be pre-planned. Probably made up shortly after I shared my plans with you in the alley. Am I right in that?"

"... I was just-"

"I don't want excuses for it! Give me a solid 'yes' or 'no'! _Am - I - right_?!"

"Yes."

There it is. He's admitted it. If not confirming his guilt over it, then he's at least confirmed the evidence for the crime - which perfectly proves my point either way. Did he honestly believe he could hide this from me?  
"So you knew then." I say with a knowing scowl.

"Knew...?"

"You knew it all along! Admit it!" I take a step towards Midoriya and plant my hands onto his shoulders, gripping hard. It's taking all of my exhausted care to keep myself from shaking and throwing him to the ground. The temptation to vent my anger is so strong I can barely see straight. All I can do is hold onto him - to physically show him that he's been caught and that there's no escape from this.  
This position... makes me realize something.

 _Midoriya's short.  
_ Short enough to make him a year younger than myself...

Though the opposite is the actual truth: I'm younger than him - by a year. And my current behavior towards him, my senior, is very disrespectful. Rather than be weakened in my resolve, this idea only strengthens my aggravation with him.  
Had his actions up to this point been based on our age difference? Or the gap between our experiences? Had he only been humoring me by following my plans quietly, and was 'looking out for me' with his hidden one? Am I that pathetic to him? That weak? That stupid?  
With heated, wet eyes, I glare down at him. "You knew from the start that my plan was going to fail! Didn't you?!"

The small man looks back up at me, his face quickly losing its expression of fear. What takes its place is something softer, warmer, and far more unwelcome: Pity.  
" _Yaoyorozu..._ " he calls to me with sorrowful voice.

His tone makes my face burn, and forces the wetness to fall from my eyes. It makes my grip weaken. Try as I might to hold onto it, I'm losing control of this conversation. This is the last thing I wanted. I'm absolutely seething in anger over this turn of events. And yet...  
The shine in his eyes looks so familiar. The tone of his voice, comforting. There's a trace of something I've seen before, of someone I've met before - barely obscured by his face, or by my blindness. I blink hard, trying to rid of this feeling. But clearing my view of him only makes the feeling swell.  
There's a side to Midoriya I had forgotten about. A side that I've... _missed?_

He stares at me dead-on, and his body unfurls itself from its surrendered state. He stands at full stature now, removing the drastic differences in our heights (though he's still a half-head shorter than me). His hands reach up, growing their shadows across my cheeks.  
I close my eyes... out of fear, or in waiting - I'm unsure.  
To my surprise, I feel his hands grace my shoulders instead. Now we're both locked in each other's grip. We look as if we're posturing ourselves for a strange, slow folk dance. And falling into our expected roles: Midoriya takes the lead.  
"I didn't know your plan would fail, Yaoyorozu." he says to me, "I honestly didn't."

"But you planned for it." I respond in accusation, though the fury in my voice has died down significantly, "You had a plan ready if he jumped off the helicopter. Something my plans never even considered."

"I guessed that he might jump down. There was a chance he would. But I wasn't completely sure he would. If anything, I was only lucky with my guess."

"But... But you still should have told me about that chance. You could have critiqued my plans! We could have gone over the strategy together before we went with my idea. We had the time to do it. Why didn't you take that chance?"

"Because you wouldn't let me." he tells me with a tone of disappointment, "You didn't want us both coming up with plans. Only one of us - only one plan, right? So that way we wouldn't get in each other's way. Basically, you just didn't want me to get in your way... right? You were stressed, irritated, angry. The last thing you would want from me was a handful of unsure suggestions. You wouldn't stand for that."

"But with our grades on the line..."

Midoriya sighs, tired of an answer he had heard only once.  
His eyes lock onto mine, peering deep into them. What he has to say next is important, his gaze tell me. It's important enough - to listen to - to heed.  
Like a prey frozen by a predator's glare, I stare on, and wait with bated breath.  
He says to me softly, "Your friends are worried sick for you. Our teachers try hard every day to accommodate for you. You fall asleep at the end of almost every lesson we're in. You can barely keep yourself together in our physical exams. You push yourself over your limits too many times... over something that doesn't matter at all. This isn't-"

" _... they do matter._ " I murmur.

He pauses himself, catching the whisper I expected him to gloss over. "Not when your health is on the line, Yaoyorozu..."

My fingers squeeze at the fabric over his shoulders. I push for a little of my anger to return. _'This is important'_ , my gesture tells him. _'This is important enough.'  
_ "Our grades, in the long run, hold more worth than you think... They determine whether we pass or fail - whether we repeat a year, or are forced to be a junior to lesser schools. Then with our teachers, all of them Pro Heroes who have seen just how difficult our future careers can be, our grades give them a frame to judge us by. And after we graduate, these things _'that don't matter at all'_ determine where we officially stand in society. They're an indicator of how others view us - _should_ view us. Of our effectiveness as Heroes. A scale to our own understanding of the needs of others."

"I understand that, but-"

"They're how we see how much we've improved in ourselves!" I yell over him. "Our grades don't ultimately improve over time - they either stabilize into a range, or continuously fall, because the assignments we're given only become more difficult with every exam we pass... And while you and everyone else in the class have their grades staying the same, or straying by just a number - mine keep falling!"  
I lower my gaze downwards onto his chest - ashamed to look him in the eyes.  
"My grades' numbers are dropping by the tens these days... _My grades_ , the academic ruler I'm judged under... aren't just telling me that I'm simply lacking improvement. _My grades_ are blatantly telling me that I'm lacking overall! If my grades stand as a measurement of my abilities, shouldn't _that_ matter?"

"You're only failing now because you're tired." he responds.

"Is that really the cause? I've rested, Midoriya! I get plenty of sleep. On my days off, I minimize my efforts, I keep to comfortable hobbies, work only with calming chores. I take pills for this! Pills to ease anxiety and calm the nerves. I've eaten better, healthier, in the past month than I ever have in my life! And I have therapy sessions for this too. The best Japan can offer thanks to my parents' care for me. _None_ of these have relieved me of my tiredness. Not _any_ of them."

"Then-"

"I - don't - need - more - days - off, Midoriya! That's what everyone tells me! Everyone but the professionals, that is! And my condition seriously can't risk the advice of those who haven't studied on this subject. I don't need any more rest... _It won't help._ Nothing can help me from this kind of tiredness - from this kind of stress. Because my tiredness _comes_ from my stress, and my stress comes from... _my stress comes from..._ "  
I choke on my words, nearly letting go of a sob. With quick breathing, I keep myself from breaking down, and hold onto what's left of my dignity.  
" _My... stress?_ " I push the words to leave my breath, "My stress comes from the difficulty of these tests. At least for me - they're difficult. Keeping up with everyone else in these Hero Classes... it's hard for me. I can barely match anyone's pace at this stage.  
"My parents, teachers, friends - they all told me that I would be a natural at this, at this field, to become a Pro Hero. But the reality of it all is quite the opposite, isn't it? I've hit my peak weeks ago. Anyone can tell you that. And what's the worst of it, is that I've been falling ever since. I haven't made a comeback or a return. I'm not back on my feet. I'm still suffering with my flimsy attempts to stand _with you_ , with everyone..."  
A muffled whimper slides through my throat - barely audible - but not entirely unheard. I'm faltering. Completely.  
" _I don't think... I don't think I'm built for this, Midoriya... I can't keep this up. What do I do?_ "

"I... think..."  
Midoriya becomes quiet. The answer he wants to give sits at the tip of his tongue - it's the same with every therapist I've met. There's only one thing he can say. Only one thing anyone can say for this. But no one ever says it. No one dares to tell me the one thing that can answer for all of my symptoms and issues.  
Because no one wants to be held responsible for what could happen next...

My angered eyes sink into a pleading stare. With my gaze, I pull at Midoriya, begging him to continue. I'm just as terrified of the answer as everyone else is, but someone needs to spell it out for me. I can't admit it to myself like this. I can't make that judgement without thinking it was all a terrible mistake. Everyone thinks they're mistaken over it too.  
Not Midoriya... Midoriya could never be mistaken on this. He would know the answer better than anyone. Because he's the only one who knows the full weight of those words. Those words and what comes after can be terrifying, destroying, and too much to bear. But Midoriya's a true, honest Hero... one who faces these fears, trembles, screams, and walks towards them anyways.  
Out of all the people I know, he's the only one that can take this burden from my back... because even if it hurts me, he'll do everything he can to save me.

" _Please, Midoriya..._ " I whisper to him.

With a breath, he answers, "You should quit being a Hero."


	7. My Work

How many days has it been now?  
I haven't been able to keep track of the calendar date. It has to have been a few weeks. The pile of notebooks and folders on the side of my table tells me that it's clearly been past two. Though the pile of coffee cans on the floor warns that it's been longer.  
I've been home this entire time. I haven't left it since that day - the day I ran home, broken, and in tears.  
Why U.A. has yet to send me a notice of expulsion, I'm not fully sure. Maybe my father's influence has something to do with it. Maybe it's my mother's negotiation tendencies. Or a combination of both their efforts. I'm sure that my parents would gladly pull strings to ensure that U.A.'s doors stayed open for me.  
It's not something I would ever trouble them for, especially if it's for a problem I've caused.  
Whether they have or haven't, I'm glad that they're still honoring the deal they had made with me: they haven't called or visited once to pressure me to go back to my classes. They're respecting my independent choices. Their silence tells me that I can count on them to trust my final decisions in this.

I wish I could say the same for my peers.  
Nearly one-hundred missed calls, countless bulks of texts, and far less (but far more troublesome) visits that had to be turned away. They've been overly chatty in my time of needed quiet.  
Mina, Toru, Jiro, and Tsuyu are trying to talk to me again, _surprisingly_. They hold the majority weight of left calls, spamming texts, and rude visits among my classmates.  
Shoji, Uraraka, Iida, Sero, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Ojiro have all attempted to contact me at one point or another as well. Quiet and sweet as he is, Koda even sent me some encouraging hand-written letters.  
No matter how any of them did it, or how persistent they've been with it, each and all of my classmates have tried their hand at pressuring me back into class.  
It's been very irritating for me, honestly. They wanted me to leave and take a break. Now they want me to come back as soon as possible. Honestly, I'm no longer tolerant towards this treatment. I've been heeding everyone's advice but my own for this past month (and a half?), and none of them have ever worked out for me. Not my friends' advice, my classmates', my teachers', my doctors', nor my therapist's.  
These days, I only follow through with plans and judgements I've made myself, and I'm feeling much better for it.

I'm not well enough to return to class, though. I still have bouts of fatigue, drastic swings of mood, and the rare anxiety attack - things I used to commonly experience before I took my pills. They've returned (since I've stopped taking my medication), and they're painful to endure, but it feels as if they're lessening in their extremes. I must be doing something right. Give or take another week of rest, I should be well enough to make a return.  
If I ever do return...

During my hiatus, I've kept myself busy with not only sent-home homework, worksheets, essays, tests, and the like - but also with a personal side project.  
Since practical exams were the only items I couldn't make up for while I'm away from classes, I decided that I would practice my Quirk in a way that matched it to the scenarios of the missed exams. This meant that I could only create items that solved specific problems, pressured myself into creating things (effectively) under stressful time limits and handicaps, and physically strained myself with spontaneous exercise regiments.  
It wasn't the same as going through the exams themselves, nor would it get me a grade, but it did ensure I didn't fall behind my still-improving classmates.  
This almost weekly practice had me creating items and objects one after the other. From small objects that could fit into pockets, to large ones that could barely squeeze through a doorway. Consequently, I started to lose space in my room to them.

Under normal circumstances, I could have set these items aside and let them deteriorate on their own (they remain stable for days, then instantly atrophy into dust). But my constant practicing made too much of these too quickly, and I soon ended up losing the luxury of waiting. If a solution for them wasn't found in the next few weeks, I could literally lose myself in my own trash.  
And so, I did what any self-respecting member of my family would do in this situation: I turned my burdens into benefits. Rather than be drowned by these materials, and rather than trouble the trash collectors with heaps of vanishing garbage, I began selling these discarded items as 'specialty products' - as _'time-limited objects'_. They have less than a hundredth of the usual lifespan, but are sold at a significantly cheaper price.  
To my surprise, these items were bought out from my online store quickly - _very_ quickly (within hours of a day). And each time I would place new ones up, they would sell out quickly again. And again.  
The time it took me to finish an exercise and have another set of leftover materials, these items (listed in my store just before I begin my exercises) would be sold out. This 'stocking issue' has not only cleared my room of these objects faster than I would have cleared them out myself: but this has also kept my room clean and tidy every day (aside from the cans of coffee that I really should toss).  
Before I knew it, I found myself making quite a profit from my weekly exercises... which soon turned into daily exercises... which then made my little, personal side project transform into a successful side business.  
Rather than just a female study-at-home student, I had inadvertently become an entrepreneur, with their own, entirely-unique market. No competition, no rivals. I practically ran a monopoly from the comfort of my room. If I wanted to, should I honestly want to: I could remove the student title from my profile. My focus could be fully set towards my side-business, and eventually transform it into a full-time career (like my father had done with his passions).  
I could. _I almost should_. But would I want to?

Do I still want to become a Pro Hero?  
More importantly, I find myself facing questions I had never thought of before: Did I ever, personally, choose this road to become a Pro Hero? Have I ever held a personal interest in that career, outside of the praise it garnered from others? Have I ever chosen anything for myself, against the popular vote, for my own future? Or have I always followed what was expected of me? Taken on the roles that I would obviously 'fit into'?

" _You should quit being a Hero..._ " I whisper to myself.  
Midoriya's words echo in my heart again.

I barely remember what happened that day. Bits and pieces, sure. But I can't fully recall what led to that conversation. Why did Midoriya share those words with me? I just know now that I'm thankful for remembering them. Without their influence, I would have stayed in that school, overworking myself with every class, trying my best to meet the expectations of others, and never taking the time to consider what I sincerely wanted in life.  
Yet those harsh words he gave me... words I've never heard in my entire life... they also made me question myself to standstill. Who was I. Where was I. What was I doing. And most importantly: _Why_. Why did I have any of _this_? Why was I without any of _that_? These sorts of questions kept me from leaving the premises of my home - crushing me under the weight of their existential importance. But maybe this standstill is for the best.  
Maybe I shouldn't go back. Maybe I should reconsider where I am and where I'm going. _Maybe I shouldn't be a Hero.  
_ My Quirk is undeniably useful when compared to the average pool of public Quirks, but does that mean it needs to be placed into this role? I know I can save lives with this ability, but surely I don't need to become a Pro Hero to do so. I can be a surgeon, an officer, or any other respectable position that protects the peace of the populace. When looking at these prospects, wouldn't becoming a Pro Hero actually blind me from the best uses of my Quirk?  
Even my product-creation business, still at its baby steps, is helping people. In a manner that a Pro Hero would never have the time to explore: Through marketing and provision of affordable products - useful products, that normally cost thousands more than I offer them for. People who would never be able to get their hands on these items now have access to them, and use them to their best. When described this way, there's no denying that this approach saves lives too.  
In fact, I've noticed through some of the reviews of my products that a notable percentage of my customers are actually Pro Heroes. None of them may be popular (I don't out-right recognize their names), but that may be the reason why they buy these products from me: Heroes must be struggling financially too.  
I'm saving Heroes' lives in some way with my prices and items. And, by extension, I'm helping them save more lives. I should feel proud of that.

There's this one review that I favor...

 _'Five out of Five Stars! I bought the reflex body armor from this seller a few days ago, and it worked superbly! A Villain attacked me while I had my back turned - scary! But this armor saved my life - and allowed me to protect a civilian from getting hurt. I was still hit hard enough to leave with a large bruise, but it's better than leaving with a fatal wound. My current funds would never be able to afford the addition of armor customs for my Hero Costume, but thanks to this armor's low-LOW price, I was able to wear one just when I needed it. If they make any more of these in the future, I'll be sure to buy them! Thanks again! - Duke Do'_

My thumb stops sliding down the window of my review pages, halting its focus onto this particular review. This is the tenth or so time that I've re-read it, but this turn at it left me with a strange feeling in my chest... My eyes go wide. The feeling moves up to my mind, forcing me to grin. I re-re-read the review. Then I do it again. And again. And again.  
Inspiration flows throughout my body, bursting at my chest and numbing my mind.  
 _I finally know what to do with myself!  
_ I can assist Heroes. More Heroes. By making products geared towards Pro Hero needs! Battle items, rescue items, communication items, anything beneficial! And I can offer them at affordable prices - so that even a temp Sidekick would have access to normally-premium gear!  
Through my efforts, I can save the lives of the those who rarely ever get saved: the saviors themselves... I can help save the lives of Pro Heroes!

With a gleeful cheer, I put away my phone and pull out my laptop. My hands work furiously with the keyboard and touchpad - creating the first designs of my very own business logo and name. One that I'll place across website banners, business cards, and product stickers. One that, hopefully, will become known throughout this city and its neighbors. One that I know I can be proud to claim as my creation.  
My company will be named ' _The Hero's Price_ '. And soon, it'll be open for business.


	8. My Priority

"Hatsume, would you mind terribly if I looked through your XSAA1-F blueprints?"

"Huh? Why would you need that?"

"I just want to know the materials you marked for its rim lining."

"Looking to plagiarize more of my work?"

"N-No! I only want-"

"Relax, Momo! I'm joking."

"Oh."

The pink-haired, golden-eyed woman slid over to the far end of her workspace and began searching through a tower of disorganized folders and papers. There were hundreds of them, nearing a thousand, forming a pile so high that they almost touched the work lamps above us. Its height became even more menacing when touched.  
And touch did the woman do. Confidently and without fear, she pulled and tugged at portions of it, causing the tower to shake violently, threatening to fall and crush anyone near its bottom. She danced around its unbalance, almost as if completely unaware of it. Honestly, she might not be aware of its danger at all.

"Here it is!" she exclaimed as she rips a handful of papers away from the binding of a custom notebook. The tower shifts - then settles. The woman rubs her cheek against her found, leaf-thin treasures.  
"My baby. My eventual baby." Her eyes dilate as she scans through its flipping pages - absolutely enamored by its scribbled lists and drafts. She sighs with elation, then hands the bulk to me.  
"I'm not sure what you're planning this time, but be careful with the materials I've listed here. Most of them become toxic during the welding process."

"I'll keep that in mind." I say as I take the papers from her. "Thank you again, Hatsume."

" _Please, please_. We've worked together long enough for you to call me 'Mei', Momo."

"Then, thank you again, Mei."

Hatsume Mei, a top-grading student and Vice Representative here in the Department of Support. She's a genius at her craft. Reckless, dangerous, but innovative. Her creations (specialized tools for the Hero Courses of U.A.) are the envy of her peers and Support Companies located throughout Japan. Once she graduates, she's sure to secure herself a position in any Hero-related corporation/organization of her choosing. She's one of the most promising students U.A. has to offer from its first years - a sparkling gem among piles of precious stones.  
And I'm proud to be her classmate.

It took some time and several proposals to the heads of U.A., but I was able to transfer my classes from Hero Course 1-A to Support Course 1-F. With my at-home business booming and consuming my attention, I thought it would be best if I changed courses to reflect that change of interests.  
In addition, not only would this change help me better my understanding of Support Item and Hero Costume designs (to help in my product creations), it would also help comfort the concerns between my parents and U.A.'s faculty. No longer would their worries for my truancy have to be held in deafening silence. Now they can openly counsel me over it and discuss the consequences - without fear of harming my then-sensitive mental state.

One of those consequences being my grades and record lying in shambles. In any other school, my turned-in tests and assignments would have been enough to keep me within an acceptable range, academically. But as it is U.A. high school, their standards are considerably higher. Only a near-perfect (if not fully-perfect) set of scores can secure my admission for the next year.  
I don't consider this a danger, however. I'm mentally and physically prepared for this challenge. They'll be reminded that I'm no slouch. And if my personal aptitude isn't enough - then a dependable partner can help push me further.  
With the aid of Hatsume Mei, the highest-scoring Support student in my year, I'm keeping my scores at the 97-to-100 range.  
Garnering her help isn't cheap... In exchange for her trust and assistance, I have to use my Quirk to create her experimental prototypes, ones she knows have a high chance of failure. I've received a fair number of scars from this endeavor. But it's all worth it in the end: I keep my scores high with the help of her ingenuity, and I gain new knowledge for my own creations at home.  
The latter, alongside with my decision to transfer, is what all this has been for. My business at home, _The Hero's Price_. A business that started with only five sales per week, now selling over five-hundred products per week.  
A task to create so many items would normally be suicidal for me, but I've improved my Quirk quite a bit, studied more efficient methods of parts-production, and purchased a few mass-production machines for private use. I practically run my own factory at home now (renting out the extra space on our property from my mother and father), and I have the client numbers to match the effort.  
I've even received a few private offers from Support Companies, local and international. The percentages they offer are enticing, to say the least, but I've had to refuse them every time, for the sake of keeping my prices affordable and my products solid in quality. This business is for Pro Heroes in need, after all. Not for the profits (though I still need good profits if I'm to keep this business running).  
Considering these things, it would be obvious to others as to why I made the change in courses - and why would I risk my physical health by befriending the notorious Hatsume Mei... _if anyone knew that I ran a business at home, that is._

I haven't told anyone outside of my parents. Not U.A., not my classmates.  
Truth be told, I'm not aware of U.A.'s stance on their students working while in attendance. Most high-tier schools would have strict rules against employed students - to avoid failing grades caused by work stress and schedules. And knowing that this high school can directly lead into a career, without the need of a college, it's doubtful that they'd allow an unrelated job to get in the way of their students' graduations. But like I said, I'm not actually aware of what U.A.'s standards are for this. I'm kind of afraid to find out.  
Barring the faculty, my peers also have no clue of what I do once I leave the campus. This not only includes my new classmates in 1-F, but also my former classmates of 1-A. In fact, the students of 1-A have no idea that I'm still attending U.A. I'm ashamed to say that I begged the faculty to keep my transfer undisclosed to others. I wanted to cleanly cut ties with any previous complications. Letting my old classmates know of my transfer might involve me with unnecessary dramas.  
And as for my new classmates: I don't know if I can trust any of them with the knowledge of my work at home. They're all desperately hungry for the kinds of connections I'm offered on a monthly basis - introducing them to these could damage my business' reputation. And I will certainly _not_ risk that.  
Without knowing why I transferred, and why I'm so focused in my work, my hard efforts in class must translate into 'a love for Designing' in everyone's perceptions. They must think I'm just as obsessed with creating things as Hatsume Mei. I can't fully deny that. I _do_ enjoy the design process greatly, and get excited whenever something I made actually works as intended (which earns me high-fives from Hatsume). But what's more important to me than that, is my passion for my business - and for my clients.

I dearly want to help Heroes. Pro Heroes. Those who never get priority when it comes to rescuing. Those who cry out for help and no one comes for them. I want them to know that they're not alone.  
My tools, accessories, and weaponry will be available for them. And through these classes, I'll know exactly what they need, how they need them, and why they'll need them. I'll even be able to create new products with what I learn here, not sold anywhere else on the market (due to their Hero-specialized designs), for them to try and apply to their work.  
And the daily emails I receive from my customers makes this venture worth pushing through. A fair number of my mail is filled with suggestions and (mostly unfounded) complaints, yet every now and then I receive messages of appreciation and personal gratitude. Seeing their stories of how my products helped them, saved them, physically or financially, fills me with a wonderful sense of accomplishment. At times, I even find myself in tears from their testimonials. I'm utterly fulfilled with my work when I know that I've honestly helped someone. And I only wish to help them more.

One customer, 'Duke Do' (I assume it's their Hero name), has been purchasing my products since I've first started selling them. I appreciate his (I assume 'Duke' refers to a male) patronage the most. He's loyal, and more importantly: gives me solid feedback. He points out flaws in my designs and asks for improvements in details I've never considered. Unlike most mail concerning these things, Duke's suggestions come from actual, proven experience.  
Whatever kind of work he's in: he gets himself caught in a lot of near-death situations, and fights a fair share of Villains on a weekly basis. It's like trouble follows him around wherever he goes. His troubles would be something I'd pity him for, but I awfully find myself thankful for them. No other customer can give me the raw battle data like he can.  
It's because of his detailed emails that I can find new ways to improve what I've made, and produce the correct amount of items for bulk products. I've even surprised Hatsume with the improvements over her experimental designs - she thinks I'm a genius for it (I really want to tell her it wasn't all my doing, but doing so would reveal my business to her).  
And, possibly more than his feedback and loyalty, I greatly, greatly appreciate Duke's words of encouragement in every email he sends me. He tells me how impactful my business has been for him and his Hero friends, and how it's helping the Pro Hero scene overall. He keeps tabs on the other Heroes who use my products, far better than I can, and tells me how much greater they've become with the help of my items. He tells me how smaller towns have become safer, how lesser-known Heroes have been given more of the spotlight, how even police, firefighters, and EMTs have become better equipped against emergencies through my products' influence.  
He even told me about a _Quirkless_ Vigilante who's making waves in the Hero Community, and he's only had an impact because of his array of ingenious tools (which very much look like modified versions of my products).  
At first, I honestly thought that these stories were made up to flatter me with unnecessary praise. But after spending an afternoon researching the links he's provided: I quickly found out that all of these news articles are 100% true, no matter how crazy they sounded.  
He was genuinely proud of the effect my products had on society. Genuinely proud over the 'virtue' of my business. He was proud of _me_.

It was ridiculous, I thought. A complete stranger, wanting me to know that he was proud of my work. And that he wanted me to be proud too.  
What kind of stranger tells that to another stranger? It's awkward, and borderline creepy.  
But... that's just the kind of Hero 'Duke' is. A lesser-known Hero. One that I can't even find in the top 300 listings of Pro Heroes. One that faces ten times the trouble that other Heroes do, but never gets a fraction of the recognition for it. A background character - faceless, and forgotten by the society he helps... And despite it all, he continues to help. He continues to try. For everyone. However he can. Whichever way he can. Even if it's just to tell a high school girl like me _'You're doing great.'  
_ _This_ is why I make what I make. Why I made a business of it. Why I transferred courses for it. And why I want to improve in it. To help Heroes like 'Duke' make it through another day. To help them fend off another Villain, to equip them with something that can save another's life. To tell them _'Thank you for everything you do.'_ To let them know _'I'm always cheering for you.'  
_ _I do this for Heroes like you, Duke. Thank you so much for believing in me._

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Hatsume cries out and pulls me away from the welding equipment. "I thought I told you that stuff was toxic!"

I blink at her strangely. "I know, I heard you. But I'm not welding that part on yet."

"You're not?" She looks at me, then back down to my work. Her eyes dilate to inspect it closely. " _Huh._ You're not."

"Of course not."

"Then why are your eyes puffing up?"

"E-Eh?" I wipe at my eyes. They're wet... How embarrassing. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just... thinking about something."

Hatsume shakes her head and sighs. "Well get your thoughts back on your work, Momo. If your head's in the clouds while you work the power equipment, you're going to end up crying for something completely different, and very real."

"Right." I say with a firm nod.

I look back down to the ceramic-steel mold I'm working with. With a few more adjustments to its upper and back plating, it should start looking more like the body armor I had co-designed with Hatsume. This one's a new and improved version, one that should be able to take more punishment from heat damage.  
There's still a lot more additions I have to work into it. As well as a long refining process. But once I'm done, and test it, I'll try to reproduce it from scratch, with my Quirk. I hope to make a few of these to sell on my store.  
This one, though, will be the prototype I'll submit for the class project.

I'm looking forward to testing it against my classmates' new weapons-grade tools.


	9. My Lunch

I'm late. With only a handful of minutes left until lunch begins, I'm really, really late.  
On days like this, I usually make it to the cafeteria twenty minutes before it opens officially. And on my busier days, I arrive only ten minutes early. But today's the closest I've ever cut it.  
I have to slide through the counters, get the lunch special and a few of those puddings at the end, pay the cost, then bolt out the door. Ah, and I also have to pick up a couple tea bottles along the way too. Then I bolt out the door. I'll have to do it quick under my time restriction, possibly in less than three minutes. Any longer than that and I'll risk being seen.

As mentioned previously, I had begged U.A.'s faculty to keep my course transfer undisclosed. They honored my desperate request, and now no one in this school knows that I've officially transferred from Class 1-A to Class 1-F. Even my classmates in 1-F weren't fully aware that I used to be part of Class 1-A (most of them know of Bakugo and Todoroki, due to the monitored events of the Sports Festival, but they don't remember the other students there - thankfully, I was one of those 'other students'). The students of 1-A most likely believe that I've been expelled due to my stacking absences.  
Plainly put: no one outside of Class 1-F knows I'm still attending U.A. And I want it to stay that way.

I clamp plastic cases around three pudding plates and drop them into my to-go bag. Reaching in, I sort aside the lunch special, and place two tea bottles into the open space.  
A small pouch flies out of my sleeve and lands with a 'clank' onto the hard counter. The exact amount of yen owed is inside this pouch - I've memorized the price of this exact meal. Even the lady at the register knows this. She takes the pouch with a kind bow, and I return the bow.  
Now I have to run. I skitter across the empty lunch floor, sliding my way past tables and chairs to take the most direct route to the east exit: an emergency exit that leads to the back of the Support Department. This exit is supposed to sound an alarm when opened - but it's been broken for months, and no one's ever come around to fix it. People like myself have been using it to take shortcuts to our favorite lunch spots (at least, when the teachers weren't watching - even with the alarm broken, they don't like us using this exit at our leisure).  
I tackle the unmonitored door open and leap into the open sunlight.  
I made it. Just barely.

With a long, exaggerated breath, I fill my lungs with the wonderful freshness of the outside air. It's my prize for another successful lunch-sneak.

"Er, Momo?"

The air in my lungs is coughed out. I'm wheezing in shock. While still gasping, I look to my left and see the green eyes of someone unexpectedly familiar.

Kendo Itsuka stares back at me with equal bafflement.  
" _I thought you were expelled..._ " she murmurs.

The sound of footsteps and laughter reaches my ears. There's a crowd of other students shortly behind Kendo, just around the corner. My cover's blown.

Seeing the obvious fear in my eyes, Kendo reacts quickly. She reaches her hands towards me and activates her Quirk. Massive hands, each the size of a classroom door, envelopes me entirely. The smell of dirt and sweat now fill my lungs.  
There's a pause of sound. Then some chatter. Someone is speaking to Kendo, asking her a question. Kendo answers back with a nervous tone. A little more chatter. A small laugh. Then the patterings of footsteps return. The mixture of sounds become quieter, then quieter, until they collectively vanish into the distance.  
Kendo releases her massive finger-locks, flooding light back into my vision (and fresh air back into my sense of smell). I'm returned to my standing position - slightly dazed.  
But the sound of snapping styrofoam sobers my thoughts in an instant...

My to-go bag is completely crushed.

* * *

"And your parents are okay with this?" Kendo asks, setting aside her bento.

"Yes. They're very supportive of my decision." I tell her, "After I showed them my plans for the business, they completely agreed that my transfer would be for the best. They even offered to help by investing in my work. I refused, of course. They've already done enough for me."

Kendo gives a pouting nod. "You're darn right they have. U.A.'s staff are nice, but their enrollment department is shrewd. People have had U.A.'s doors close on them permanently for far, far less. Your parents must have worked a miracle to keep you in."

I agreed with her assessment through a nod, and started to explain how my usually-busy mother also helped in my proposals for the course transfer.

Kendo Itsuka and I are seated at the school's rooftop, eating our lunch and conversing, far away from prying eyes and ears. Shortly after her sudden act of hiding me from her classmates (which destroyed my bought-lunch - which she replaced with some of her own homemade meals), the two of us moved here to discuss our surprised meeting in private. The subject jumped from topic to topic - mostly concerning over false rumors of me, and answering questions no one's dared to ask.  
I told Kendo everything that's happened to me these last few months. From my stressful failures, to my skipping classes, to my home business. My honesty with her exceeded the honesty I held with my parents. Not because I felt threatened by her seeing me, nor was I desperate to get things off my chest, but I told her as much as I did because I trusted her to take me seriously - without bias.  
Kendo isn't the type of woman to simply shrug off the minor concerns people had. Nor was she the type to point out 'what was best' for people (though she'd gladly point out 'what was worst' for them). She's unintensively empathetic and a patient listener. And for all that, I greatly appreciated this chance to share my thoughts with her.

"Speaking of 'boyfriends'..." Kendo sentence trails off as she searches through her purse. The last subject we were on was about my loyal customer 'Duke Do' - whom Kendo had affectionately referred to as my 'main consuitor' (a barely-clever mix of 'consumer' and 'suitor'... she tried). After a couple of minutes, Kendo found what she was looking for and pulled out a small, pink object. A smartphone - a miniature one at that.  
"Ta-da!" she sings with pride.  
The design is cute, but hardly practical. Most apps these days require larger screens just to function properly. However, a quick glance at her home screen shows that she has the barest amount of apps... To each their own.

"You got a new phone?" I ask her.

"Sure did. I got it around two months ago, actually. Shortly after the last time we talked..." Kendo scratches the side of her chin in embarrassment. "Which is why I never got back to texting you."

"Hm?"

"The last time we had lunch together, I told you that I would text you soon, remember?"

I very vaguely remember. "Ah, right."

"I got a new phone the next day, so um... Yeah, I lost your contact information. And then I went on an excused trip with my family, like I said. And well, by the time I got back, you weren't coming to school anymore."

"Couldn't you transfer your Contacts list to your new phone? Cellphone stores do that for free these days. Or you could have just attached your old account to this one, and you'd only have to download your old settings."

"I know that, Momo. I may be into some old stuff, but I'm not old in the head. I knew about the Contacts thing, and they even offered to do that for me. But I wanted to start off fresh, you know? Most of my Contacts were old middle school friends I never talked to anymore, anyways." She shrugs. "And since I already memorized everyone's email addresses, I thought plugging them back in would be a stroll in the park... But I forgot I had only memorized my family's and Class 1-B's emails. So I totally forgot all the ones I got from 1-A. Including yours."

I sigh at her nervous laughter.  
Kendo and I really are alike in many ways. A few days ago, I was thinking of replacing my phone as well - I was even thinking of 'starting fresh' like her. But also like her: I would've lost the contact information of Class 1-B, since I only memorized Class 1-A's. Not that I had any plans in contacting them. I just would have been in a similar boat as her.

"So what did you need to text me about?" I ask her as I hold my phone up to hers. We activate our IRs to share our contact information.

Kendo smiles at me in thanks, then scratches at her chin again. "Well... I couldn't do anything about it then, since I lost 1-A's emails. But when I got back, I talked to your classmates during lunch and managed to plug back in everyone's information - sans yours, of course. I didn't know if you'd consider it rude. Long story short: I had been planning to set you up on a date."

"A date?!" If she said it a second sooner, I would have pulled my phone away! If she said it a second later, I would have been spitting out tea. I put the thermos down and stare hard at her. "What do you mean _'date'_?"

"Like it sounds: a date. Between a guy and a gal. Maybe romantic, maybe awkward, but certainly fun. Well, it'll be fun for me, at the very least."

"You were planning to tag along?"

" _Of course not._ I was planning on asking you how it went afterwards."

I pout and turn away. "Well it's a good thing I wasn't here then."

"Oh don't be like that. It's not like the date would be with a random guy for a random reason. It's totally scientific."

" _'Scientific'..._ What do you mean by that?"

"I was going to set you and Midoriya up for a second date."

This time I actually spat out tea. Kendo reached over and rubbed my back as I coughed.  
"Wh-Why would you do that?!"

"I told you the last time we met, Momo: Something wasn't adding up to your story about getting sick. The only thing you told me that might have led to an actual answer was your date with Midoriya. He might have been the reason for your illness. Maybe it's something he said or did or... I wasn't sure. So I figured if I could set you on another date - then I'd get conclusive evidence on that theory."

My stomach felt sick. It's the first time it's felt sick since my recovery. That theory of hers may have been onto something. But - "I'm feeling better these days. No bouts of fatigue or anxiety have bothered me since I started working on my company."

"I could tell." Kendo gave me an impressed smile. "You've made a complete 180 since that last conversation. You must have really found your footing."

I smile back at her. "I definitely think so. This must have been my calling."

"So did Midoriya put you up for it?"

"Put me up for... what?"

"The side business gig."

"No. This was my idea. But he was..." my voice trails off, along with my last thought.

Kendo's eyes sharpen. "You just forgot what you were about to say, didn't you?"

"I, uh-" _Blank._ "Huh."

"Looks like I'll be calling him up soon then." Kendo flicks at her phone screen. "How's this coming Saturday work for you?"

"I'm actually asking an engineer to come over that day to see what's wrong with one of my sorters, but the following Saturday I should - Wait. No. _No_ , Kendo."

"Next Saturday it is."

"Kendo!" Before I could protest further, the school's bells ring.

A massive hand swiftly swings past me, scooping up the bento pieces and thermos from the ground ahead. It swings back to Kendo, and carefully drops the items into her bag. The young woman stands up, adjusts her skirt and hair, then picks up her bags from the floor.  
"Looks like lunch is over. I'll text you soon, Momo. I'll actually text. Actually soon." She gives me a dopey smile as if to ask for forgiveness.

"Itsuka, please don't."

"If you can give me a valid reason why I shouldn't text him, before next Saturday, then I'll drop it and forget about it. But if you can't convince me, then I'll let him know you're up for it."

"Wh-Why?" I ask, holding down my returning feelings of maddened frustration.

"Because your sickness seriously worried me. And if we don't get to the bottom of it soon, I get the feeling we're both going to regret it in the long run."

"But I'm better now!"

"The question is ' _why_ are you better now', Momo. And more importantly, ' _why_ were you sick then'. If we can't figure those two out - for sure - then I'm scared that you might relapse and we won't be able to do anything about it." Kendo adjusts the bags on her wrist then opens the door to the stairs. "Thanks for taking me up here, by the way. I've always wanted to eat lunch on a school roof. I'll see you later." She gives a friendly wave, then disappears through the doorway.

I want to chase her and beg her to call it off... but my stomach is twisting in knots. I feel dizzy.  
"I'm already... having a relapse, Kendo..."


	10. My Message

[Subject: Re: The New Armor Works Great!]

* * *

4 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
Yes, the lining is a new sort of material that prevents heat from entering, but allows it to exit. It's not my creation, but I was given permission to use it so long as I don't patent it. Should I decide to mass-produce the armor, I'll ask for further agreements to ensure that there are no issues with that process.  
For now, all I can provide this week are those four. I would gladly make more of these for you this week, but regrettably, I've been feeling a little under the weather lately. I apologize sincerely for the inconvenience.  
-Yoro]

* * *

5 [Duke_Do  
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear about your condition. Handling this business alone must take a lot out of you.  
Please, don't overwork yourself.  
While I am very glad, and truly thankful, that you improved the armor design for me - please know that I don't expect these requests to be fulfilled immediately. Whenever you're able to and willing, I'll gladly wait until. Consider my extra orders as non-urgent backorders. You may reject or cancel them at any time.

Take your times of rest seriously.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

6 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
Thank you for your worries. However, please know that this business is not the cause of my current illness. While I can't continue to produce bulk orders in this condition - the effort itself is not burdening my physical condition. Rather, my physical condition is burdening the work. The items I'm producing in this state are not up to my standards, so I refuse myself from building larger amounts.  
My current illness is unrelated to my work. Though I fear it may be chronic, which will in turn will affect my work throughout. Hopefully it will settle itself soon enough.  
When it's passed, I'll let you know and start on your next orders immediately.  
-Yoro]

* * *

7 [Duke_Do  
I thank you greatly for your hard work and dedication. You truly are selfless, and as always, impressive.

I do apologize if this is too personal, and you may respectfully decline to answer me, but may I know what kind of illness this is? I'm no expert in the field of Health and Medicine. However, the place I'm stationed in has a Hero with astounding healing capabilities.  
If it's something they can handle, then I'll see if they can spare some time to help you.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

8 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
You're very kind. Your generosity humbles me.  
Please don't worry yourself too much over me. I will be fine.

As for the illness... I have aches and pains throughout, as well as bouts of fatigue and confusion. An additional symptom is irritability, but that's more related to the other symptoms than the illness itself.  
This illness is of the mind, however, not the body. I seem to be stressing greatly over a personal life issue. There's nothing more I can do to relieve my illness than to face it head-on.  
Which kind of scares me, ha ha.  
-Yoro]

* * *

9 [Duke_Do  
I'm sorry to hear that.

If - and please, do not feel compelled or threatened by this gesture - If you need someone to talk to over your stresses, I'm open for listening any time.  
Your work and communication has always been there for me when I needed it. The least I can do is be there for you, if you want or need the company.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

10 [ Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
I'm always surprised with your messages like these. Not in a terrible way. I'm simply surprised that you're not a popular Pro Hero. Your selflessness is truly aspiring.

I might take you up on that offer.  
-Yoro]

* * *

11 [Duke_Do  
Well, it may be because I'm not quite a Pro Hero.  
I can't divulge much more than that - for possible legal reasons. At least, in emails.  
You can never be too careful with who's listening in.

Ah, but don't misunderstand, I'm no Villain or anything like the sort.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

12 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
Are you a Vigilante? No, I suppose you shouldn't answer that. It would cause problems if anyone were to confirm it with either answer.  
However, if you were, it would make complete sense why I've never seen your Hero Name on the official lists. With how many Villains you face, and how many people you rescue, anyone would place you in the top 300, if not top 100, if you had been a registered Pro.  
With all the support you've given me, I'd vote for you to be in the top 5, for sure, ha ha.

I won't pry into your life, but know that I fully believe you'd be suitable and able to get a Pro Hero license. The difficulty for those tests have slackened slightly, due to the increase in Villain activity. However, they have increased in their fees... which may be your reason. If that is the case, please let me know, and I'll back you in these fees. You have my full support as well, Duke Do.

And...  
I apologize, but I'll take you up on your offer now. If that's okay.  
-Yoro]

* * *

13 [Duke_Do

I'm all ears.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

14 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
Thank you.

I won't give out too much information. Like you said, you can't be too careful with who's listening in.  
Suffice it to say, my illness was caused from a personal event that caused me stress.  
When it first occurred, I barely remember when it started, how it started, and most certainly: why it started. I only remember gaining it after a particularly restless night.  
Weeks later, I reached a breaking point and fell hard. It took me a days to get back on my feet, but when I did - it was to start this business.  
This business has been a blessing to me since. As I worked, I soon forgot about the stresses and the pains that went with them.

But a few days ago, I met with an old friend - one that I hadn't talked to since I fell. They were concerned greatly for me, and offered to help find the 'source' of my illness. Now while I couldn't figure it out myself, nor could the medical professionals that tended to me, there was a possible reason for this: I may have never wanted to know its source.  
What would happen if I found out? Would my illness get worse? I had already struggled with it long enough, there was no reason for me to seek its source. I only wanted to be rid of it. And I had.  
But now that my old friend has brought it back up, I've started to become ill again.

Mind, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be. It used to cripple me entirely. Currently, I can function normally in my efforts. However, it's still enough to force my body and mind into making mistakes. It's a great bother for me and my work.

Without my consent, my friend is following through with their 'offer'. They've scheduled me to 'face this source' soon. Very soon. This coming Saturday, actually. And the closer I get to it, the more I feel ill.  
I'm stressing greatly over this. And I feel like I'll return to my original state of illness - which honestly frightens me.  
The more I think on it, the more I realize that I don't want to face this. I want to run from this. But does that make me a coward? Will the illness follow me even after I run? Will it become worse if I face it?  
I find myself paralyzed. I'm unsure of what to do...  
-Yoro]

* * *

15 [Duke_Do  
That sounds immensely difficult. It seems as if you have your own Villains to face in life, and it's nothing to scoff at. Nor do I believe one should pity it.  
Yoro, I believe it is indeed better to face these things. No matter how frightening it is.

Even if we may lose, even if there's no chance left, Heroes stand up and face their obstacles. Because if they don't, then they'll only allow the worst to occur. They give it permission to affect the lives of others. It's up to a Hero to become a wall and a hope for others, and make sure there's still a chance for victory, for themselves, and mostly, for others. That chance, that hope, is built from their actions. Whether successful or failing. In the end, their actions and inactions are a message.

What do you want others to hear when they feel lost and alone?

What do you want others to believe when they feel as if there's no way out?

I know you have said that you do not see yourself as a Hero, but I believe that to be untrue.  
You are a Hero to me. And I'm sure you are a Hero to all of your customers. You are that hope for us, and you increase our chances in life with all that you do for us in your business. Without you, many terrible outcomes would have occurred to me, to each of us, and to the people we protect.  
We hear your message loud and clear. We see what you want us to believe.

A Hero's duty isn't only to stand when no one else will - it's also to stand so that others will find the courage to.  
So with this problem directly ahead of you, one that causes you harm and injury throughout your life... you can face it with fear - you can face it with distaste - but it is imperative that you face it.  
Stand so that others may stand beside you. Refuse to fall, so that others will never crumple to their own fears. Conquer this 'source' with your works - so that all others find the strength to do the same.

Be the Hero that you truly are.  
You can do this.  
I believe in you.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

16 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
You are a true Hero to me, Duke.

Thank you.  
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.  
-Yoro]

* * *

17 [Duke_Do  
I thank you for the great compliment. If I can be a Hero to my Hero, then I know I have done something well and right.

By the way, if it's not too much to ask: What is it that you have to face this Saturday? If possible, I can offer my assistance.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

18 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
It feels truly anticlimactic and foolish to say, after your amazing speech that made me cry...  
But I have to go on a date.

I know. It sounds so juvenile and stupid, but my friend is convinced that I became ill after I spoke with this person. They believes the best way to make me 'face them' is to date them.  
I'm so sorry for underwhelming you.  
-Yoro]

* * *

19 [Duke_Do  
No, not at all. That actually is rather frightening. Dating the person who made you so ill that your life had been crippled? That's worse than facing a Villain. That's practically living with one.  
If I could, I would pity you, for I wouldn't know how to approach that problem. But after everything I've said, I can't take back my encouragement: You can still do this. I do believe in you.

If you need any further help or advice, let me know.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

20 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
I don't have the confidence for this... I know you said you didn't know what to do, but - would you take this date seriously? Casually? Treat it with caution?  
Where would you go for this? I've caused such friction between me and this person in the past, that I feel like anywhere we were to go: it would be beyond awkward and filled with continued friction.  
And my nerves are killing me. How would you calm them?

I'm sorry for bothering you with such trivial things. I'm just really at a loss right now.  
-Yoro]

* * *

21 [Duke_Do  
I'm not really sure how to answer these. I find myself at a standstill if I plan too much, so I often make a simple one and go through with it.

And since I'm not really aware of your personal tastes or your date's, I can't really recommend much for the more specific questions.

As for nerves? I get rid of nerves through physical practice. Mental imaging may work for some - but it only makes me more nervous. Physical practice makes you feel as if you're walking closer to your goal.  
So perhaps a mock date?  
I know it's a very strange suggestion, but as I'm worried for you: How about I help you with that?

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

22 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
Help me with a mock date? As in the two of us go on a date first?

You want us to meet?

Honestly, I'm really nervous about that idea. But it's an exciting idea too.  
-Yoro]

* * *

23 [Duke_Do  
Then it's a date. Ha! I've never been confident enough to say that out loud.  
And we'll go somewhere very public, in case you feel uncomfortable meeting with a complete stranger.  
This may be strange, for two guys to go on a mock date together. So we can look at it as just a 'hang out'. A 'scouting trip', maybe.  
I have a date coming up as well, so it will be good practice for me.

Ah, and you may be a little surprised to see me. I'll explain further once we meet, but simply put: Don't hold too high of an expectation.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

* * *

24 [Yoro (The Hero's Price) - to Duke_Do  
I'm sure you'll meet any expectations I have of you - if not surpass them. But just for your request: I'll keep them low.

We should choose a popular train station we're both close to. I noticed that your shipping address is a private box fairly close to where I live - so we'll have no trouble in choosing one we're connected to.  
And we may have trouble finding each other, so maybe we should also pick out clothing that we'd immediately notice. Perhaps one of the folding armors from your last-last order? If the one you ordered hasn't deteriorated yet, I can wear a matching set so it's unmistakable between us. We can take off the armor afterwards, obviously. We'll only keep them on until we find each other.  
As for where we'll go after that - maybe we can just explore the nearby areas on foot to scout out date spots?

Now I'm really excited for this. I can't wait to finally meet you, Duke!

Oh... and: I'm a female, actually.  
I hope that doesn't bother you.  
-Yoro]


	11. My Date

A shuttle slows itself to a complete stop. With a quiet hiss and a small digital cue, its doors open and a wave of people swarm from its exits.  
The swarm tries to disperse from one another to avoid tripping on footsteps and luggage, but they continue in their packed formations to avoid being overtaken by the ones behind them. Faint droplets of a passing drizzle patter silently on the steel canopy above, and tap at the plastic barricades and cement flooring below. The effect further discourages the swarming groups from separating, as many umbrella-less individuals lock themselves to the dry walkways.

Just as sudden as the crowd appears, they vanish in an instant - with no one filling in their emptied gaps. In a few minutes, another shuttle will appear on the opposite side, and the same scene will repeat itself - in reverse.

Nakameguro Station - one of the many busied stations of Tokyo, though nowhere near as crowded as Shinjuku or Shibuya. It's a plain and simple commute post - with no distractions or gimmicks to slow the foot traffic it serves. The only thing that makes it stand out from its neighboring stations is its location just above an active road. If one wanted to, they could look down from the cement barriers and watch the rushing cars pass them from below, counting each and every taxi that regularly enters and leaves its view.  
It's a nice place to people-watch as well, especially when noting the Quirk-adapted appearances of the populace... but that's not exactly an encouraged hobby here.  
Nevertheless, I spent the last two and a half hours studying almost every passerby that headed for the station's exit. I would have studied each and all of them if it weren't for the constant, nagging anxiety to check my phone.

No calls. Nearly 3 PM. My date is one hour late.

I had arrived at our agreed destination over an hour early, a little too excited for the meeting. But that excitement had obviously died down with the time past. Now I'm counting the ongoing minutes with frustration and nervousness.

 _Did I schedule the time and date incorrectly?  
_ Our emails would say otherwise.

 _Did I get off at the wrong station?  
_ Our emails disagree.

 _Did I just get dumped?  
_... Our emails might find that conclusion viable.

Zero emails have arrived since his last one:  
[I'm almost there.

Sincerely,  
Duke Do]

Considering that it only took me three minutes to reach this destination via train, and calculating the distance between here and his private mailbox address: _'almost there'_ should have been _'already here'_ minutes before the date's official start!  
There's the chance that his private box is far from where he lives - to hide his packages from curious family. But the chances of that are low. Duke doesn't give the impression that he's a man to keep dirty secrets. The way he speaks in his text, and how often he does, belongs to a man of over-honesty.  
There's a chance this impression of him is wrong, but he seems like the sort that would be poor in lying... as well as the sort that would have a hard time quieting once he begins speaking. A chatter-bug, an innocent conversationalist, or a passionate speaker.  
Or maybe he rarely speaks at all in life, and he's overly-eager to speak with someone that pays attention to him.  
That thought makes me pity him.

But that's an idea that's neither here nor there in this day's schedule. What's also neither here nor there is Duke! Where is he? Why hasn't he answered my emails? Should I try to call him? Is his email connected to his phone's number? Does he even have a phone? Could he be one of those rare few that only carries a tablet with them? Is it Wi-Fi only? Is that why he hasn't responded to my emails?  
 _... Is he in trouble?  
_ No, no, no. Rather than that, since he's a Hero, wouldn't it be safer to assume that he's currently saving someone from trouble? He certainly seems the type to put off superficial promises in order to save someone's life.  
All this, though, is just impatient speculation.

 _Where are you, Duke?_

"S-Sorry! I'm late!" a voice calls out to me, gasping for air.

I turn to face them... though... I shouldn't be turning. I've been facing the direction of the passenger's walkways. Why in the world would I be turning to face the entrance of the station? Maybe they got off the wrong stop and ran here, but that wouldn't make any sense. Maybe this voice mistook me for someone else - that would certainly make more sense. But...  
No, they didn't mistake me. There's no way this person could ever mistake me. And I realize now that I've been a fool for having mistaken him all along.  
The one who called out to me, wearing the unmistakeable body armor I crafted weeks ago, holding himself in a way that matches the personality found in each and every one of the emails sent to me, one who would certainly face trouble wherever he goes, and one befitting of the title 'Duke'... is someone I know all too well.

"Shall we start our 'date', 'Yoro'?" Todoroki Shoto asks me with a nervous smile.

* * *

Todoroki Shoto.

The most popular student within U.A.'s 1st years. Son of the most accomplished Hero in history - Endeavor - and predicted to outshine him in his peak years. One of the most powerful individuals the Hero World has ever seen in terms of Quirk strength, Quirk capabilities, practiced talents, and overall potential. A solidly well-learned person who holds high marks in every field of Hero and general studies. A strong contender for 1st Place in Pro Hero forecasts. A terrifying foe to face on the battlefield. And, by a large margin, considered the most attractive boy within the class of 1-A.

I agree with every positive analysis surrounding him, including that last sentiment.

Long ago, on a shopping date shared with my (former) classmates, we held a discussion over which boys each of us would be willing to ask out. Todoroki Shoto was voted for thrice in our group of five. And though my vote was shared with two others, mine had been unique because I was the only person to vote solely for him.  
There was little to no interest in me to enter 'the dating scene' during my high school life. A lover of romance novels I may be, I held onto the realistic notion that dating would distract a person from their necessary studies. Todoroki Shoto was the only exception to that rule. Dating him would be like moving behind the slipstream of a blistering-quick vehicle - to keep up with him was to ensure quick success in both fields of peer learning and self-improvement. Rather than distract - he would bring more focus to your studies. To desire anyone else during the most fragile years of our career-building life would be to sabotage one's prospects!  
Needless to say, I hold Todoroki in high regards.  
And for him to carry the 'anonymous' identity of 'Duke Do' - the single, most influential person in my life up to this point? I shouldn't be surprised. But I can't help but be in utter awe within his presence.

"The new armor you made for me works great." he says to me distantly, staring at a set of fire-proof designer jackets. That particular set is catered for those who have heat-emitting, heteromorphic Quirks. "My flames don't even leave scorch marks on it."

"I'm glad it has that endurance." I say to him in gratitude. In the back of my mind, I wonder why he feels the need to tell me this. He's already explained how effective the armor is, in great detail, in an email he sent to me last night... Maybe it's because talking about it in-person is very different than typing it out.  
That's an idea I have to agree with. Speaking to Todoroki as 'Duke' in person feels entirely foreign... As if the one online was just an exaggerated copy of the plain reality beside me. Like an idea shown beside its finished product, I find it difficult to associate the two identities together.  
At this moment, I can't see the one with me as anything other than 'Todoroki who's passing on Duke's message', or 'Duke in Todoroki's body'. It's a strange way of viewing him. But I'm sure that view will settle into something more substantial by the end of today.

In the start of our demo-date, Todoroki and I found a nearby shopping center to peruse and explore. The area looks fairly new, with their freshly polished signs perfectly reflecting our faces, and the orange glow of the afternoon sun. I'm reminded of how long I've waited for this date to begin.  
The two of us talked as we window-shopped. A few items of necessity and a good number of snacks were purchased along the way, but our focus remained mostly on conversation. Topics about my company, its products, and his use of my products were ones we repeatedly brought up. As 'Yoro' and 'Duke Do' meeting for the first time, it was natural for these things to be front and center.  
'Duke Do' is my main, unofficial, product advisor. And because Todoroki is one and the same, I quickly came to a realization as to why he ordered what he had in the beginning. Most of the items he bought from me boasted extreme temperature-endurance, both hot and cold. Some later design requests from him used to make me scratch my head - such as high impact gloves and shoes, light-refracting cloaks, and spray-on coolants that didn't remove adhesiveness... But Todoroki eventually explained that he wanted products that he could show off to the students of 1-A. In due time, throughout our on-and-off discussions, all of his purchases and custom adjustments started to make sense.

Out of respect, I assume, the topic of my leaving of Class 1-A was never brought up. Not by hint, nor in talking about related events. With it never touched, I wondered whether or not Todoroki was even aware that I'm still a student of U.A. high. Our conversations just never left an opening for that subject.  
I'm tempted to let him know of my transfer. Yet, at the same time, I feel as if the mention would sound more like an invitation than anything else. I don't want him to think that I personally want him to meet with me on campus - especially when I spend most of my time hidden and far away from Class 1-A's students. But, I suppose if I'm honest with myself, I _would_ want him to visit me... I just don't wish to trouble him.  
Not that I'd ever be bold enough to ask him directly.

Three hours in, and we've made our way to the rooftop access of a department store, having explored and chattered our way through multiple blocks (and floors) of other businesses. The area up here is chilly and biting to my unsleeved skin.  
Todoroki, gentleman as he is, offers me his coat to cover up... I accept it with a thankful smile.

"So do you have any plans for your business after you graduate?" he asks me. He's looking down at a coin-operated ride, with an expression that says he might try it. But he turns away after a second, staring back at me to distract the possible thought. "Would you make it larger than it is? Split it, and specialize? Or keep it the way it is? If you decide to keep it, that is."

The questions he asked are ones I had thought over for many nights. And while I haven't come to a sure answer for them, I'm confident enough to say what I have in mind, "I might make the business larger than it is... I appreciate its smaller name and local successes for now, but I want to help more people in the future - even people living outside of Japan. Heroes and citizens alike. The size that it is now wouldn't be able to handle that kind of expansion. So a business growth looks to be the only option I have."

"Even if it means your products drop in quality? Or an increase in prices?" he asks. "I'm guessing your products are the way they are because of your Quirk. But to output far more than you already create these days would either harm you, or require more employees - and as far as I know: You're the only one with your particular Quirk. You would have to sacrifice something in order to increase your production rate."

I sit myself on one of the coin-operated rides, one shaped like a seahorse with a saddle, fiddling with its loose handles. It's an action meant to calm my nerves. The point he's brought up is one that's troubled me for a while now.

"I've thought about that..." I answer him, not too confident in my tone, "And it seems inevitable for prices or quality to change eventually, but I want to keep them as they are for as long as I can. I've researched into methods of increasing my Quirk's output by hundreds-fold - to meet the demands of the growing market. For instance, I can create the raw materials and then have a machine process them. Or I can create the pieces of an object to place on an assembly line, and have them put the pieces together.  
"But you're right: having my business grow further would require employees. It would require larger methods to produce an acceptable amount of materials for the scale of customers I want to sell to. And sadly, I am the only person I know that has a Creation Quirk as adaptable as mine... I'm ashamed to admit that I don't have an answer for this yet. All I can say is that I hope to find an answer while my company grows."

Todoroki leans over the building's side, watching the evening commute far below us. Casually, he pulls something out of his pocket, glances at it,then returns it to its hiding space. It looked like a piece of paper.  
He faces me and asks, "How about shrinking your business?"

"Shrinking?" I definitely haven't considered that. Though I'm not sure why I ever would. I love my job and what it offers people - I would only want more of it to exist, rather than less. "Well, no... But I suppose if I had a job on the side that was more appealing, that would be an alternative for me."

Todoroki scratches his chin, thinking on his next words. "I guess what I meant to ask is: How would you feel about just specializing your business entirely? Becoming a sponsor for a few Heroes, or creating a sponsorship program for a select demographic. That would restrict your customer base... Which would mean you wouldn't have to lower your quality and prices. And at the same time, you can help people on an international scale, without going against your business ethic."

I raise my brow at his explanation. "Wouldn't restricting my products to a select consumer base override the ethic of helping those who can't afford the original items? Doesn't that make the idea behind my company hypocrital?"

"In the short term, it would. But taking it in as a whole, you offer your services specifically to those who can't afford these items at its regular price. As a direct sponsor, you can back specific Pro Heroes to assist them on their tasks - Pro Heroes whose Quirks would normally be unstable or lacking without the help of Support items. Or, if you allow anyone within a certain income bracket to have access to your product line, you can directly help the people that need it the most. Either approach can fit in an international model."

"So you're essentially suggesting for me to create my own Hero Agency? It's an appealing idea... But like I said: Limiting my product availability to only a certain few would be rather hypocritical of me at this point."

"But you would be able to continue selling to your target demographic without having to risk your prices, quality, or stock. You would still sell to those who need your items at their prices the most - and lock out the consumers who either never held an interest in them, or can already afford the original items. It limits who can buy them, but it leads the right people to your door. And with a limitation: that door can remain wide open for them, even at larger scales. Your consumer reach grows the more your company specializes."

"I suppose that's true..." I let out a soft sigh and smile at Todoroki.  
Normally, in dates like these, the last thing anyone would consider talking about is business modeling. But between the two of us, even something as mundane as this can be a bonding experience.  
"You truly are the best advisor anyone could ever come across, 'Duke'. I'm eternally grateful that you decided to help me in my business endeavors."

"I'm a fan of your work." he says with a handsome smile. His eyes move away, looking down and off to the side, as if just remembering something. "Now that we've tried things out, how do you feel about your date on Saturday?"

The sudden shift in topic throws my mind off balance, making me forget the other compliment I wanted to tell him. It is an expected change of topic, though. The whole point of us meeting today was to help me find out what to do for that date. I suppose talking about it now could only mean that our day together is ending soon. It's a bittersweet thought.

"I'm planning on cancelling it." I answer him confidently.

"You're - Huh? Cancelling? Any particular reason?"

"I, um..." My cheeks warm. "I no longer have an interest in dating that person now. Especially when... I have someone else I would rather... date." My cheeks are burning. I can't believe I said something so bold! I mean, sure, it wasn't direct in its statement, but the intent is so _obvious_. Ahh! This is just like in that one novel where-

"Oh, sorry."

"Eh?"

Todoroki scratches at his chin. "Sorry. That is to say..." his voice trails off. After an agonizing length of seconds, he looks back up at me, and only manages to say "The thing is..." before trailing off again.

I'm being rejected, right? He must have understood my hint and is backing away from it. But the way he's doing it is awkward. Very awkward - for him, that is. He looks uncomfortable.

After some more pause in thought, Todoroki scratches the back of his head and sighs. "Yaoyorozu... I'm not Duke Do."

"... What?"

"I'm not Duke Do." Todoroki repeats. "Duke had been there, at your meeting spot, ahead of schedule. And for whatever reason, he pulled himself away at the last second. The reason why I arrived an hour late in his place, is because Duke spent that time cramming my head with as much information as he could about your emails with him."  
Several scraps of paper flutter to the floor, being pulled out individually from Todoroki's pockets. "These were his notes. Even though he didn't come, he wanted me to bring these topics up with you - to help you out with your company, among other things. Most of our conversations today came from what he wrote in these little scraps."  
He frowns at one of the scraps before letting it float away with the wind.  
"I was willing to play this part to the end, since I owed him one. But if I have to betray him like this - then I'm dropping the favor." His eyes lock with mine, piercing in its gaze. "Yaoyorozu. The man you like and admire, isn't me. I'm not 'Duke Do'."

"Then... who is?"


	12. My Question

I'm furious. To be led around like that? Anyone would be...  
I can forgive being avoided as a date - while unpleasant: it's a common fear. And the failure to uphold an agreement? Countless odd reasons can prevent a promise's success.  
But to be lied to? Fooled? Deceived? On something so _very_ personal? That, I can't let go of.

I have no anger for Todoroki Shoto. He bears no guilt in this. As far as I'm concerned, he only played his character to fulfill a promise. A messenger with a mask - with neither mask nor the message belonging to him. Up until he revealed the deception to me, he had been loyal to his private agreement. He failed in the end, of course, but at least he tried to keep to his promise.  
This one, however... This one didn't even try. This one resorted to deception before attempting to test the truth. This one ran from a promise before he could even face it. This one led me astray without a second thought - as if it would never hurt me if I never found out! This one-!  
This one...

Is Midoriya Izuku.

A man who lacks tact by way of overthinking. A young man who fails in the common senses due to his imagined perceptions of others. A boy who avoids social responsibilities because he so foolishly believes he's being selfless. A coward who flees from personal challenges repeatedly just so he can further underestimate himself. A living doormat! An utter waste of potential!  
His behaviors and traits are always in stark contrast with what he hides away. He can be honorable. He can be surprisingly wise. He can be greatly dependable. He can be so brave. And yet all that is completely forgotten whenever he faces a reasonable reality!  
If it's safe - if it's sane, then chances are he'll have an impossible struggle with it. Unless someone's life is on the line - and unless he can sacrifice himself to save it, then he can't fathom how he should handle the situation. It's like he's a masochist - only being awake and aware of himself when there's a high chance of self-damage.  
These criticisms are ones he desperately needs to hear. Ones he truly needs to heed. And I make sure he does. I'm yelling at him right now.

For the first two hours of our officially-sanctioned date, I've been lecturing and berating Midoriya for what he had put Todoroki and I through.  
Fleeing from the date the way he did... According to Todoroki, Midoriya had arrived at the station earlier than I had - but the instant he confirmed that it was me wearing the foldable armor (one we had both agreed to wearing, for quicker recognition), he immediately fled. The nerve of him!  
And what a nerve he has, to attempt to lie to me through Todoroki - placing him in such an awkward, troubling situation so suddenly. I spent a good hour of my lecture on this subject in particular...  
We're in a karaoke room, so my raised voice shouldn't be troublesome for others. While not entirely soundproofed, our volumes should be buffered enough by the room's custom walls. At most, the place's customers would probably think we're just terrible singers.  
I can't do much about the waitress right outside our door, however. She's been pacing back and forth, trying to find the right time to enter our room so she could offer us a menu.  
I do feel guilty for that.  
And I feel guilty about wasting Kendo's money. She's pre-paid the hours for this karaoke - among other things for our date.  
I'll apologize for this and that later. Those things can wait - and actually _will_ wait. For now, I have to focus my efforts in prying a _proper_ apology from the one right in front of me. The one who willingly flees whenever the opportunity arises!

Midoriya is on his knees, bowing his head so low it's touching the floor. The pose is meant to convey the deepest, most sincere, sense of an apology, but even that isn't enough to make up for what he did to me that day... and the days before. All those days before.  
Just thinking about them makes me more irritated.  
Should I instead have him apologize for what he hasn't done? Because that seems to be the main issue here.  
Ever since the day we met, Midoriya has been needlessly avoiding me - to the point of eluding anything beyond a shallow acquaintanceship. And even when he's given the chance to turn things around - he doesn't. He remains quiet, shy, and distant. These past few months in particular have been the worst of it. How far he's gone to dodge any and all meaningful interactions with me... it's excruciating, as much as it makes me just plain angry.  
On our first date, he admitted to seeing a wall between he and I, but hesitated in searching past it from his end - even at the risk of losing the chance to do so ever again. During the practical exam, he was completely aware of the faults in my plans, but never dared to offer his critiques for them - even though I sorely needed them. And with my last day as a student of Class 1-A, he was the one that gave me the reason to leave, yet he was the only one that never visited me after my leaving.  
If that were the end of it, I would have simply moved on. But then...

 _Then_ , in my time away from U.A., as I worked on my company in private, he had come to me as a customer. And through his loyalty and feedback, he had slowly, unknowingly become my inspiration, my passion for my work, someone very important to me... And he shrugged it all away as if there was nothing between us!  
The one chance... that very one, astounding chance... we came across, to finally meet each other and solidify our personal relationship with one another... _he..._ he hides himself and sends someone else in his stead.  
That coldness would make me despise him to the point of avoidance. His rudeness through all this would make me give up on him entirely.  
But instead I find myself completely curious beside my bafflement. I know - I'm confident - that he does this solely with me. I've seen him treat no one else _this_ terribly, for _this_ long... It's me. It _has_ to be me. But why?  
Why, when he was immediately willing to meet with 'Yoro', did he decide to run away as soon as he realized that she was me? Why, of all the students that shared Class 1-A with him, was I the only one he never seemed to pay any mind? Why is it that, when I willingly leave the door open for us to further our affinity, he sidesteps it - when I'm so sure he'd walk through it for anyone else?!  
What makes me stand apart from the others he would approach? Does he see me as some kind of pariah? Do I scare him? It can't just be because I'm a woman - I've seen him willingly speak with other girls, no matter how much the effort makes him blush.  
I _want_ to know. I want him to tell me.

Because, _after all he's done for me..._ I want to tear down this wall between us.

" _Why..._ Why didn't you come as yourself?" I find myself asking him for the third time during this 'argument'.  
Midoriya never answered me on the first and second attempt at the question, but that was expected when I asked them rhetorically.  
This turn at the question, however, was far from rhetorical.  
"Midoriya..." my voice had lost its fury some time ago, possibly an hour before this point. All that's left of it is a strained, nearly-sore throat. And to worsen the effect, it's beginning to crack with something other than anger.  
" _Why didn't you come as yourself?_ " I ask, again.

Midoriya's humbled position - quiet and bowed - endures in its self-blame.  
Little does he know that this silence and separation only surrounds me with an awful feeling of isolation...

" _Please answer me,_ " my voice weakens, showing a hint of desperation, " _Why didn't you tell me that you were 'Duke'?_ "  
Somewhere at the core of that question is the real reason behind this lecture.  
His cowardice and childish sense of self-sacrifice have always been banes to me. But now there's something about them, something about the date he was supposed to share with me, that actually pains me. Something I've never felt before - or at least never recognized before this moment.

It's what's driving me into talking over him for this long.

It's what drove me to stay here in anger, rather than leave for the same emotion.

It's what drives me to keep this farce of a 'date' going - hoping against the odds that I can salvage it in the end somehow.

I need an answer to what it is, why it is, and what I'm supposed to do with it. Otherwise...  
My breath skips and my hands tense. An unignorable sense of _betrayal_ drags itself across my chest.  
I can't take this pain for much longer. _I need him to answer me._ This isn't an obstacle I can overcome on my own. Like the wall that stood between us, my actions alone wouldn't be enough to obtain a true conclusion. I need him to solve this _with_ me. _Beside_ me.  
I need him to answer me.  
Otherwise...

 _Otherwise..._

" _If you can't answer me, then we're just going to go back to the way we were..._ " I whisper the words, barely audible beside the muffled sounds of a neighboring room's excitement.  
But the words reached him. The twitch in his hands is enough to tell me that.  
"Why can't we get past this?" I ask a question that I'm sure I've asked before. Or had I worded it differently then? I don't remember the words - or when 'then' was. I don't even remember who they were for - or why I said them.  
That terrifies me.  
Knowing that I can forget so much without ever knowing why... terrifies me.  
My legs are shaking.  
I try to stop them with a thought, but the effort makes me lose control of something else... Tears escape my eyes, speeding down my cheeks and falling away. A quiet whimper escapes my lips.  
"Why can't we just get to know each other? Is that so wrong?"

The unmoving listener finally shifts. His silence is broken by the sounds of popping and snapping joints - products of his locked and strained position. As he cranes his neck to look up at me, a face of pinkish red can be seen. Blood had rushed to his head during his downward pose - and it would take some time before his cheeks could drain to their original color. It was obvious that his long-held, low bow had injured his body, and yet...  
He pushes himself into a stand, and stares at me with eyes of clear concern - as if his earlier hindrances never existed. Despite himself, despite everything that's been said and done, simply because he heard me whimper: he faces me bravely.  
He'd never do this for himself.  
But for me... for anyone in trouble... he won't hesitate.  
I expect no less from the Hero named 'Deku'...

I expect no less from the Hero named " _Duke..._ "  
The name spilled from my lips with a broken sob. _Betrayal_ stabbed at my chest once again.  
"I wanted to... _thank you._ " my voice struggles to raise its pitiful volume, "Everything you've done for me these past few weeks has been invaluable to me... _Your encouragement... your kindness..._ your support, and your patronage - I wouldn't be where I am without you. _I would have only stayed home, never knowing what to do next..._ "  
I lift my hand and rest it atop my heart - pressing against the pain that threatens to overwhelm me. If I were to give into it, my words would fall away from me. But I can't allow that to happen.  
Not when he's finally ready to answer me.  
"You were there for me when no one else was, _'Duke'_." I say to him, "You inspired me, guided me, pushed me, and pulled me. You gave me everything I needed, and left me wanting nothing in my endeavors. You helped me stand up on my own. _For that, and so much more, I'm indebted to you. And..._ as odd as it may sound, I sincerely _wish_ to stay indebted to you. I greatly want our partnership to continue as it is. And, if at all possible, I would prefer it to grow into something... _more than that_.  
"I want to get to know you, as you. And I want you to get to know me, as myself. Not just as 'Duke' and 'Yoro' formally acquainted behind our screens - but as familiar faces with familiar words. _That's to say_ , I want to spend more time with you! And if we work well enough, I'll be happy to spend even more time together. _As..._ As long as you'll have me, _that is..._ "

Seconds pass in silence. The bleary soundtracks and muffled sing-alongs of nearby rooms occupy the space surrounding us - further punctuating our wordless hesitation.  
Midoriya takes a breath, ready to fill the void.

"At least..." I say before he could respond, "That was what I wanted to tell you. But you took that chance away from me."  
As dearly as I want his response, as much as I need him to speak - my intent needs to be perfectly clear between us. The last thing I desire is for us to reach an unrelated conclusion, or to become sidetracked with a completely different concern. We've done that too many times already.  
No... there's so much riding on this conversation that there's no way I can risk having it become twisted in the end.  
So I continue, "What I wanted to tell you back then - those very words that I meant for you - I can only imagine being for Todoroki now, Midoriya. And the feelings I held for 'Duke' died away the instant I was told that the one I met was just a farce. Because of what happened that day, I lost a very important moment in my life - one that I had meant to share with the person that I admired most.  
"You took them away from me. You _stole_ those things from me. And I can never get them back, nor ever return them to the way they were. By lying and sending someone else in your place - I've misplaced those precious things. Things I wanted to give to 'Duke'. Things I wanted to give _you_."

The wrinkles of his shirt reposition themselves. His fingers loosen slightly.

Though he had pushed himself to stand and face me, I had moved my eyes away from his before they could meet. I'm afraid of looking at him directly now that I've come to this point. If I could see his expressions while I'm like this, I might change my mind of what I had to say - and how I would say them.  
I bite my lip. " _If..._ If you were the one to meet me that day... those feelings of admiration would have grown exponentially. I'm sure of it. My words would have doubled in their gratitude. Maybe tripled. I don't think I'd run out of positive things to say about you! Because... you were the one that saved me, Midoriya... You were the one that let me walk down this path. I-"

"That's not true."  
Midoriya's first words since we entered this room - interrupts me, and denies me.  
His voice is frail, weakened from his time in silence. Yet the fervor in his tone cut through my words as if mine held no conviction.  
While I try to understand the intent behind his reply, he continues, "You walked down that path on your own, Yaoyorozu. It wasn't because of anything I did. The most I probably did was give you my 'OK' to walk down it - even if you didn't need me to do that. I didn't open that path for you. I didn't even show it to you... While I'm genuinely happy that you think of me that way, I'm the last person you should thank for 'saving you'."

"Yet you were the one that told me that I should stop being a Hero." I retort immediately. "If you hadn't said that to me - if you never told me that - I would still be struggling in those classes, and with my anxiety. You helped me find another way in life when no one else would. One that I'm greatly satisfied to be in, and one that I would have never discovered on my own. Your counsel changed my life. This is no time to be modest!"

He shakes his head hard. "I only said what I said because you wanted me to. Back then, you were so stressed and desperate. The way you looked at me... as if you were begging me to find you a way out... I couldn't ignore it. But at the same time, I couldn't help you. I wanted to help you. I sincerely, deeply, did. But I didn't know what to do... No matter how much I thought over it: I couldn't think of anything. Anything at all. I was so frustrated with myself...  
"When you said that all of your problems came from our classes, and how you weren't cut out to be in them... You were telling me loud and clear that you wanted to quit them. To have that as your way out. I only told you to do it because I couldn't think of an answer myself! I gave in to that answer you gave me. I didn't choose it happily."  
His hands ball up into fists. "And the days after that, when you never came back to class... I honestly thought I made the biggest mistake of my life. I kept thinking, every day, that if I wasn't so desperate to save you then, if I had only thought about it more calmly: I would have never told you to quit! Why would I _ever_ think you should quit being a Hero?"  
A drip of liquid patters onto the floor. Then another. And another.  
Midoriya's body shakes alongside his voice, " _Yaoyorozu..._ You're an amazing person, and an equally amazing Hero. What you can do with your Quirk, with all the planning and preparation you do for it, and how quick and smart you can use them to answer every problem that faces you... You're so much more than just 'amazing' in your talents. With your calm and cool head, and your strong presence as a leader... _Of course you'd make a great Hero...  
_ "You deserve to be a Pro Hero. There's never been a doubt in my mind over that. The fact that you continued to try in every class and test you were given, even though you looked like you were about to faint the next second: only proves that even more. So maybe you weren't emotionally and mentally fit to continue attending U.A. classes... But only for a short while. With all of your great qualifications, U.A., no, the entire Hero Field, would suffer a great loss from your quitting. You're an amazing Hero, 'Creati' - I never wanted you to ever think otherwise..."

I slowly look up to his eyes - focused, green, and shining - searching for doubt or dishonesty.  
To my dismay, I don't find any in his too-honest gaze.  
Midoriya stares at me head-on, so sure of his words, even if he stumbles in saying them. Despite himself, he shows complete confidence in me.  
I'm unsure of how to respond to him...

With a breath, he shows that he has more to say, so I remain quiet for his answer.  
"Even if something great happened in your life because of what I said that day - I can't take credit for it, because I never agreed with what I said. If anyone should take the credit... it should be _you_. _You_ were the one that made something out of what you lost. _You_ faced those hard challenges, and overcame them - like you always had. As 'Creati', and as 'Yoro'.  
"I would have never thought to make a new business with my Quirk, let alone have the commitment to make it as successful as you. And then transferring your course focus into Support, keeping up with its classes while running your company at home, and networking with more people to further what you already had...? I would have never been able to do any of that."  
Midoriya's eyes soften. A heart-warming grin forms at the corners of his lips - pushing his cheeks into cheerful mounds. The water that had been flooding his eyes release in larger streams, running around those reddened hills.  
"This was all you, Yaoyorozu. I had nothing to do with it." he says to me, happy in his tone, proud in his words... yet utterly distant in his conclusion. "So, please, don't say that I saved you."

" _You coward._ "

"Huh?"

"I said you're a coward!" I repeat myself, louder this time. Midoriya's caring gaze twists into one of confusion (or possibly fear) as he notices the sharpening of my harsh glare. "You always do this. You _ALWAYS_ do this!"  
The sense of 'betrayal' that had clawed away at me just moments before, is being swallowed up by a rather familiar feeling... Smoldering deep within my chest, _fury_ is quickly taking its place.  
For hours, I had been prying and striking away at Midoriya with my words and questions - all in an effort to get a proper apology from him. No, rather than that, even far less than that, I had done all this just so I could get a simple answer from him. Just a single, honest answer.  
Any kind of verbal reply would have been enough to know what any of _this_ was for.  
My yelling at him was an expected outcome for everything he's done to me - that was not something I needed an answer for. But the lengths and depths I've gone to continue this argument? It made no sense to me. Something bigger was indeed behind all of this - hidden behind a wall, a door, a gap, a mystery, whatever you want to call it, between Midoriya and I.  
And now, with that reply he's given me - I finally have a clear idea of what _all this_ has been about.

And it makes me furious.

"After everything I've done. After everything I've been through! You're still treating me this way?!"  
My hands reach out and grab Midoriya by the wrinkles just below his shirt's collar. I pull him hard towards me, dragging his stumbling weight onto my forearms as I lift him onto his toes. My eyes are inches from touching his - my nose tip gently tapping at his.  
The intimate distance I put he and I in would be embarrassing to acknowledge - but I'm far too angry to let such juvenile things get to me. This position I placed us in communicates one idea very clearly:  
 _'I won't let you run from this.'  
_ "I've dropped everything I had, Midoriya! My career, my goals - abandoned and replaced. The relationships I had with my peers - ruined! Even the connections I've made with my teachers have been made utterly questionable. I've put myself under you - following after your advice, Deku's _and_ Duke's, to find myself in completely unfamiliar waters. And still... _Still!_ "  
I push him forward, unintentionally slamming him against the wall. The effect fits my mood just fine. My right hand plants itself beside his head, blocking him from the exit - while my other hand grips at his sleeve. It's an aggressive stance - bullying, in a way - but if he won't carry a gram of his responsibility, then I'll take it from him entirely.  
"Still you think I'm better off without you!" I yell. At him. At the walls. At the world.  
"As if... As if I'm so cold. So different from you. _So_ much better than you. Stop treating me this way. Stop seeing me like this. Just stop this. _Stop this, please..._ " A hot teardrop slides down my burning cheek. More follow. And more. They're streaming down my face and I... I can't stop them.

" _Stop pushing me away..._ " I beg him, as I sob onto his shoulder.


	13. My Answer

We were kicked out of the karaoke room and asked to leave the premises.  
My last yell was loud enough for our neighbors to hear - and one of them called the manager to check on us. The manager wanted to only give us a warning and let us continue using the room, but our waitress had mentioned that we were well over two hours beyond our paid limit. They couldn't let that slide (even after we paid for the extra time).

Midoriya and I sat ourselves atop a low, brick wall, just around the corner of the karaoke's building - leading into an empty alleyway. We wouldn't block foot traffic by staying here.  
Not that there was much foot traffic. The place, outside of the building complex (which housed three restaurants, two dress boutiques, a holistic medicine store, a small arcade, and the karaoke house), was sparse of people. Kendo had chosen less populated areas for our planned date - not that I mind.  
It was a quiet spot for us. A peaceful place to take a break and collect our thoughts.

No more tears, nor wet stains, graced my features. Only a slight stickiness to my skin would tell anyone that I had been crying. That, and possibly the over-tired expression in my eyes.  
Even with the quiet, calmer atmosphere and wonderful breeze, however, I still feel quite upset.  
 _The talk between Midoriya and I had been cut off. Yet again.  
_ Like our very first date, someone had barged in on our conversation and interrupted its flow. The thoughts, the feelings, and intents within it are quickly dying away - soon to be forgotten.  
At least the pained emotions I felt are still raw. I can feel it in my eyes and in my chest. But there's nothing I can do about them now.  
That personal connection between us is over.

"I thought you disliked me."

"What?" I turn towards Midoriya.

He's facing away from me. By his voice, and his slightly-curled posture: his mood seems somber.  
With a sigh, he answers me, "The day after I left you that message, you started ignoring me. So I thought that you... you know. Hated me."

I'm taken aback by the response - willingly personal, despite having lost our momentum. But more importantly: I'm confused. "Message?" I tilt my head. "What message?"

Midoriya stiffens. "... Th-The voicemail I left."

Voicemail...  
 _Voicemail...  
_ Voicemail?

I reach for, and pull my phone from my purse. Clicking and sliding through its menu, I open up my Calls log.  
My thumb swipes up, over and over again, scrolling through the dates. I see the names of my parents, my classmates of 1-B, the bank servicing my transactions, and the further I go - I begin to find the names of my former classmates from 1-A. There was even a call from the Principal. Dozens over dozens of names fly by... But not once do I see the name of 'Midoriya Izuku'.  
Had he called the wrong number? Or did the call simply not register?  
Either way - I don't ever remember receiving a voicemai-

There it is. 'Midoriya Izuku'. A missed call nearly three months back.

I don't recall ever seeing this under my notifications...  
Regardless of the missed call, my phone has no history of a voicemail from him.  
... Right?  
I swipe away a window, swipe to another screen, and press onto a new window. My voicemail box. This should have been the first function I checked, but I was confident enough that I hadn't received a voicemail from him that I felt no need to check.  
I'm still sure of it. My phone highlights every message I have yet to open - and I haven't seen a highlight like this since a few weeks ago, when the bank called me.  
But this was a message from three months ago - so there's a chance...

And it's there... An unopened voicemail. From Midoriya's number.

Why haven't I seen the notification for this? Did I confuse it with another message notification? Had I swiped it off-screen before I could view it? Was there a malfunction with my service?  
Besides all these questions, a different question sat unnoticed at the edge of my mind. The longer I pondered over 'why' I missed a call and a voice mail - the more the ignored question floated into my surface thoughts.  
Rather than 'why?' - 'what?' was the true question. The elusive answer to 'what' could eventually resolve 'why'. 'What' was more significant. 'What' was more important. 'What' held an actual, tangible answer.

 _What happened on that day?_

A few days short of a three full months prior...  
I had my very first date - which I shared with the boy right next to me.  
At the time, due to the mistakes made by a forced reschedule, the two of us were accidentally placed on a lunch date together.  
It was an awkward, embarrassing date. Of course it was. Not only was he not aware that we were on a date until it was too late - not only did rumors about us spread within _minutes_ of the date's start - but he and I had always carried little to no interest in one another. Not then, not before. We were friendly acquaintances or decent friends, and nothing more than that. And we had always been 'fine' with that.  
But then... Midoriya defended me from the spreading, teasing rumors of our classmates. And I decided to give him a serious chance. So I insisted on an extended date - a real one, at the amusement park.  
In it, we eventually opened up to each other. And we bonded. Then we were interrupted, and our date ended there.  
The day after that, we returned to being respectable classmates again - pretending as if nothing had happened between us.  
I wonder if we really were just pretending...

Then-

 _Then...  
_ _Midoriya tried to call me that night. And I never picked up._

What stopped me?  
I remember feeling sick... That may have been the first night I was struck by my chronic illness. Possibly from all the stress I experienced that day. I think I had done poorly in some tests.  
 _... No...  
_ No, that wasn't why. I remember now.  
I fell sick because...

" _I was scared..._ "

My thumb hovers over the 'Play' button. My wrist readying to lift itself up to my ear. But my hand is shaking. The fear I felt in that memory is echoing inside my head... It's making my stomach churn, and my mind feel as if it's about to drown.  
But it's only a phantom of what I had experienced that night.  
I press the button, and place it up to my ear.

 _"H-Hey Yaoyorozu."_ Midoriya's voice stutters through my phone's speaker. His voice sounds lighter. More youthful and full of energy.  
Has it really been only a few months?  
 _"I know y-you didn't want me t-to message you, but... It didn't feel right to leave it like that. O-Our d-d-d-date, that is. What I m-mean to say is... I- um... I... I really enjoyed it. A-And I was wondering if y-you... w-w-wanted to go out again, s-sometime? Okaythat'sallbye! ... ... End of message. If you would like to repeat this voice mail, press '1'. If you-"_

All the stress I experienced... All that frustration... All those complications and misunderstandings... occurred over this? Over something so plain?  
I hang my head in shame, and shake it with self-disappointment. I can't believe how childish I've been. To think that I forced such awful things on myself and Midoriya only because I was so terrified over this. I want to yell at myself. I ought to laugh at myself.  
Except... this isn't really a laughing matter, is it?  
Had I listened to this message at the time, I would have regretted it greatly.  
I knew then, and I know now, that I had every right to be frightened of this voicemail - or of any message Midoriya may have sent after our date.  
Because, at the time, he and I were _incompatible_.  
His goals and mine would have placed us in two separate worlds. Our ways of thinking and approach rarely ever complemented each other's, and always seemed to clash. And most of all, the expectations placed on each of us would have never allowed us to have a natural relationship.  
As stiff and awkward as we were - is how stiff and awkward we would have been, years down the road...  
... so long as we remained the same. And the same we would remain, as changing ourselves never guaranteed a better outcome.  
Would either of us be so selfish as to risk the safety of our own responsibilities for the sake of an unknown future? Would either of us gamble all that we had, all that was within our reach - for something we couldn't even fathom right in front of us?  
Knowing the answers to this, of course I was scared of Midoriya reaching out to me...  
Because I would have rejected him.

I didn't want us to get any closer because of that.  
 _Yet I couldn't deny that there was something special I was letting go of._

Those contradictory desires welled up inside me, afflicting me with bouts of physical sickness, mental fatigue, and immense frustration. The more I thought of him - the worse these symptoms would become. The more I tried to stop thinking about him - the worse my memory would be.  
So despite myself, I ignored him.  
 _Yet despite myself, I still thought of him._

After the practical exam, I made him push me away...  
I thought I was better off without him.

 _"Message saved. End of new messages. If you would like to-"_

But things are different now. I'm different now.  
I put my phone away and peel myself off the low, brick wall - turning to face the one beside me.  
My hands slide, pressing flat the wrinkles of my dress. I situate my posture to a comfortable straightness... then kneel myself to the floor, bowing my head onto the concrete.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Midoriya asks immediately in panic.

"I'm sorry." I say to him.

"F-F-FOR WHAT?"

"I didn't check your voicemail until just now."

"... What?"

"I didn't check your voicemail until just now." I repeat myself, holding the same tone. I press my forehead harder onto the concrete.

Silence sits between us for five slow, anxious seconds. At its end, a held breath is released in a comically loud manner. "I'M SO GLAD!" Midoriya exclaims. I can hear a quiver in his voice - a signal that he's becoming emotional again. "I thought that you started ignoring me because of what I said on there!"

"No... I was being distant for other reasons." I reply.

"I'm really relieved. I didn't want you to hate me for asking. Even if I was pretty pathetic about it."

"You weren't pathetic at all. It took a lot for you to ask me."

"Y-Yeah well... It was still stupid of me to ask. I mean, there's really nothing appealing about dating me a second time, right?"

"That's not true. We're on our second date right now."

"I-I-I meant intentionally! Kendo set us up for this one, so-"

"I intend to continue taking this date seriously..." A faded, yet sharp feeling pierces through my chest, forcing me to swallow. I bow myself lower - pressing my upper body to the floor. " _... even if I don't deserve to be here._ " I say more to myself than to him.

The one in front of me positions himself closer, and crouches to my side. I see none of this with my head bowed and eyes closed - but I can hear him well enough.  
"Hey... Don't apologize like this. You didn't do anything wrong." he tells me, in an unfamiliar, mature voice. For once, he sounds older than me.

"I've done everything wrong." I reply, "If I had listened to that voicemail when you left it, none of this would have ever happened... most likely. I caused a lot of trouble. For you, for my friends, for my teachers, my parents, myself... If I had been brave as you've been, and answered the phone, I'm sure that every argument I made today would be moot... most likely."

A short laugh escapes his lips. "If you're not so sure that picking up my call would have changed anything, then you shouldn't beat yourself up over it."

"No matter what came from that choice, my actions leading up to this point have been hypocritical and immature."

"I think you did what anyone would have done in your situation."

"No one would have checked your message?"

"W-Well, not that. I mean that... I've been really awkward around you because of this misunderstanding. And _anyone_ would be upset with me if I treated them the way I've been treating you. I'm so sorry..."

"Midoriya, you have always been awkward around me."

"I-I guess that's true. But you know, awkward in _this_ way. Distant, I guess."

"You have always been distant with me. Even before all this."

"I have?"

"Yes. We talked about this on our first date."

"Oh... You're right..."

"We've always been distant with each other... And we always wondered why that was."

"I remember that."

"And just before that date ended, you and I seemed resolved in changing that. And then we were interrupted."

"By Ashido."

"But after that date..."

"... we had a hard time talking to each other." he completes my thought in a melancholy tone.

"As if nothing between us had changed." I add.

"That's why I wanted to text you. Why I tried to call you. So we wouldn't end it that way."

My hands grip tightly. "And that's why I never picked up."

"What do you mean?"

"... I was scared." I repeat what I had whispered to myself earlier, though in a volume loud enough for him to hear.

"Scared?" his tone sounds in a nervous panic, "Did I pressure you? Maybe I shouldn't have-"

"Midoriya, _you_ had done nothing wrong. You've treated me as you always have. Anxiously, shyly, fearfully, with too much respect. I'm the one who's wronged this situation. I'm the one who ruined everything between us!" The rough texture of the concrete stabs at my cheekbones. Its immovable surface squeezes my nostrils closed. I have a hard time breathing. But I accept it as a punishment - further pressing my face against the ground.  
My cheeks burn. Though I thought I held enough dignity to keep my tears from showing in public, I find myself loosing tears. A low sob, choked back so as to not call for any attention, escapes me - but hearing its pathetic tone forces me to curl myself in shame. I continue to weep regardless. Still in my bowed state, I continue to weep in apology.

"I was so scared!" I half-shout, halting Midoriya from responding. There's no need for him to try to comfort me - I put this on myself - I put this on the both of us - I should bear it alone until I'm finished. "We were going to get closer. I knew that we were. It was so obvious we were. We couldn't leave our relationship the way it was. We were going to fix it. And I was scared... I was scared of what all of that entailed."  
My partially curled bow turns into a complete curl. My arms wrap around my chest, cradling the pain that stabs at me.  
"What would it mean if we got closer? What would happen? Would we remain as we were? Could we hold onto it? And our futures? Could either of us really be the Heroes we wanted to be - if we saw each other under that new light?  
"I know... or rather, I'm mostly sure that... That maybe you could stay the same. That you could still stand as the Hero Deku, speak with your friends and family like you always have, and remain inherently true to who you were. You're honest to yourself. That's one of your virtues. All of Class 1-A recognizes that. I recognize that. I admire it. It's what makes you a true Hero, Deku..."  
My fingers dig into the skin above my heart. The pain worsens. I want to cry out, but I swallow the act immediately. " _Me...?_ " I hiss. "I don't have your conviction. My desire to become a Pro Hero, the way I acted in front of others, the paths I took in my life - all of those things were influenced by others - or were reactions to people's expectations. True to who I am? _Who am I?_ I never gave such questions serious thought. Because I _thought_ I knew how my life would turn out!  
"But then... Then I met you. Actually met you. When we talked in the amusement park... The way you spoke with me... looked at me... The way you still reached out to me even after I avoided you... How you looked out for me no matter how many times I told you not to... And everything you did for me as 'Duke'... _Midoriya..._ " I whimper, " _Midoriya... I knew my whole life would come crashing down if I reached for your hand._ "  
Slowly, methodically, I uncurl myself. Shakily, fearfully, I sit myself up. With hesitation, I open my damp, crusted eyes. And face him.  
"I wanted to change for you." I tell him.  
"I wanted to be someone you needed in your life. Someone you wanted beside you. Someone who could speak honestly, comfortably with you. Someone who can make you laugh, and smile... and wipe those tears away." My trembling hand leaves my lap, almost pulling itself towards his face. It pauses, then retreats to where it was. I shake my head. "But the life I was living would never accommodate for that... I could never make myself so vulnerable around you. My natural instinct is to distrust you, and become irritated at most of your tendencies. And the future I sought for myself, that my parents expected of me, that my friends knew I would achieve - had no room for a person as sensitive as you. By default, I'm _incompatible_ with you. Those are the facts. They're the material of my walls."

My tearful eyes move away from his, staring off into the distance. I take this time to breathe, and ease the tension in my chest.  
"I wanted to deny those facts... I wanted to have no care for them... The more I thought about you-... No, the more I thought about _us_ , the more I believed those differences between us seemed minuscule under the scale of _our relationship_. And that belief... more than anything... terrified me."  
I tug at the fabric of my dress and use it to dry my eyes. After inhaling another calm breath, I continue, "Even if my life was sorted by the expectations of others, I still considered myself an independent woman. The fact that I was willing to gamble my achievements and accolades, my senses of comfort and self-earned dignity, just for the chance of a possible future shared with someone naturally incompatible with me? For a gamble? For only a chance? With no guarantees that we could succeed in our tried partnership? ... The concept of a chemical reaction in my body blinding me to that sort of decision-making is horrifying to me.  
"And yet, despite all that, I felt as if there was something more to that belief than mere chemical reactions. Something more akin to an intuition, beyond physical instinct... I must have been out of my mind to feel that way, I thought. I honestly thought."

My eyes return themselves to meet with Midoriya's. His green eyes sparkle emerald as that familiar, intimate stare of his burrows deep into me.  
With anyone else, I would hold my guard against this gaze. But for him... for some, curiously unspoken reason, I leave myself open... I trust myself to him.  
"I closed myself away from you. I no longer wanted to speak with you anymore. I didn't want to pick up your call. I didn't want to hear your message. I didn't want you anywhere near me. Everything you did seemed to irritate me. Out of fear and self-preservation, I forced myself to hate you... So I suppose you were right.  
"But!" I shout just as I see his lips shrink in guilt. "But... By doing so, I began to hate everything else in my life. I began to hate myself. That was the source of my sickness, I believe. I spiralled ever downwards with anxiety and frustration - all because I hated the fact that I closed myself off from you. And... in a ludicrously ironic manner... that attitude, that behavior, began to quickly change who I was.  
"I was failing in my classes, losing my friends, destroying any healthy rapports with U.A.'s faculty. And I began to alienate my parents. That whole life that I had built up, that I had so furiously sought to protect from you, from even myself, I was tearing apart with my bare hands."  
My palms plant themselves to the floor as I bow again. It's not a deep bow, barely slanting my position, but it still serves as an apology. "With my final act as a student of 1-A, I removed myself from you completely - even though I no longer had a reason to. I left that class, by forcing you to hurt me. It was as if I was getting back at myself, for getting back at myself. A final vengeance that ensured no part of myself stood victorious. That act, was entirely selfish of me, and utterly cold towards you, my friends, and my family. I placed the consequences of my actions on everyone but myself. I am so, so sorry..."

From his shadow on the ground, I can tell that Midoriya is mirroring my bow.  
"I hold as much fault in all this as you do." he tells me and apologizes.

I shake my head profusely, not wanting him to take away the blame. "I put myself away from us. You only did what was natural for a person in your position. It's my fault alone... Though, strange as it is to say, I am glad that the consequences led to this. Because after I had left... in my time piecing myself back together, my life began changing in a way that would make me rather compatible with you."

Midoriya's shadow flinches. I find myself smiling.

"It made me very compatible with you." I tell him with a small, heartfelt laugh. "You could tell that much with how you and I worked as 'Duke' and 'Yoro'. Not only in a business sense, but in a very personal sense as well. It's true that neither of us knew who the other was behind the screen... But even after you discovered who I was, and through the notes you gave to Todoroki, I could tell... I could tell that 'Duke' cared for me especially, and that even 'in-person' I respected him greatly for his guidance and attention. Even though it was through a facade, I could see myself being happy beside 'Duke', the man behind those words. Even after the revelation of your identity, I could, with all honestly, see myself being happy beside you. It was the strangest thing."

The shadow of Midoriya sits itself up, stiffly postured. "Y-You mean as a business partner? Friend?"

"Business partner, ally, friend... something more than that."  
I pull myself from my bow and face Midoriya again. His face is beet red, his eyes wide, his lips fidgeting between expressions. The juvenile reaction used to annoy me. But now I find myself charmed into laughing.  
"If - If you'd have me, that is." I manage to say between laughs.

"Eh? ... EH?!" His face turns significantly more red than before.

I end up laughing harder than I ever had in my life. His face is ridiculous. And even his facial reactions to my laughing is hilarious. It's so... expressive. Too expressive.  
Weeks ago, I doubt I would have ever been able to laugh this way. The expectations of my maturity and calm-nature have always prevented me from being swayed by 'less serious things' in life. With those standards gone from me - no longer a part of my formula to success, as my parents and new friends become familiar to my new approaches to life - I can let myself be charmed. By not-so-serious things, by trivial things... by Midoriya's silly faces, by his honesty.

After nearly a minute, I can barely breathe. I force my laughter to calm with a clearing of my throat. At least my ability to quickly take on a serious face hasn't faded.  
Even in my calmness, I let myself grin.  
"It didn't feel right to end it that way. Our date today, that is. Despite everything that's happened, I still really enjoyed it." I try to echo the words of his voicemail, for my own use, "So I was wondering if you'd like to go out again, sometime?"

Midoriya's expression remains the same - no longer able to further its complete shock. If he had a weak constitution, I'd imagine he'd faint.  
The fact that a simple proposition from me could illicit that kind of reaction... flatters me.

"I-!" he starts, then stumbles and fumbles with his words.

I gently place my hand over his mouth. "Yes? Or no?"

He stares at me in dizzying confusion. Then, after a short while, he slowly moves his head into a nod.

"Then it's a date." I pull away from him and smile.


	14. My Future

I feel as if I'm about to faint any second now.  
The night before was exhausting, and so was the night prior to that. I haven't enjoyed much sleep this week - and the little I had stressed me with dreams of overworking myself.  
I suppose I am overworked. But we all are this week.  
Ten new recruits had entered into the Agency a month before. And now that they're fully trained, we're all reworking the system to ensure that their integration is without issue (all while we continue to work with our daily tasks). We would have had the entire system ready before the recruits were set to work, but with a resurfacing Villain Group prowling at our gates, we just haven't had the time to do our usual preparations.  
The rookies will have to find their place in the Agency through a trial by fire.

It reminds me of the old days... when I was just a student in U.A.'s Hero Course. All those run-ins we had with The League of Villains. Even after I transferred into the Support Course, their continued threat heavily affected our work environment. By our second year, the class had to focus its efforts into prepping all of U.A.'s costumes for live-fire-use against active Villains. It was a harrowing time. But it was still relatively easy compared to this.  
If I showed my past self the sort of struggles I have to go through now, pointing out that I achieve all of this without the direct help of veteran Pro Heroes - she would be very thankful for the handicap she's been given. Non-stop researching, measuring, drafting, producing, and testing as a Support was stressing enough, but to do it all off of your own budget, while managing an entire Agency and its two wings? Even my proud, independent self would abandon this towering task.  
Had I never struggled with those dangerously-dire events during my time in U.A., my own trial by fire, I certainly would have never been able to manage half of what I'm responsible over now.

To my left is the Heroine Datamine. She's been rebuilding our entire communication network from scratch ever since the Villains somehow managed to hack into the last one. I have to watch over her work - instructing her to replace connections with our personnel in a specific order. Who we need to speak with sooner depends on information priority.  
To my right are the Heroes Ironcoat and Checkmate. The two of them are briefing our new recruits of where they'll be headed, what to expect, and handing out the equipment they'll be wearing for their jobs. I have to double-check the expiration limits on the tools for this mission, as well as check-in on their mission objectives. Perhaps I'll even throw a speech in there while I'm at it - the rookies look like they need a little encouragement.  
Behind me are the Heroes Cycloscope, Poolgrip, and the Heroine Weaponless. Cycloscope and Weaponless are currently acting as security for this room - thoroughly examining any and all visitors that come through its armored door. Poolgrip, just returned from his last job, is bickering with Cycloscope - annoyed by the intrusive inspection he was given. We would be more lenient if it weren't for the doppelganger break-in we experienced a few days ago. I'll have to set aside time for Poolgrip's report.  
Adamser Felicia (or rather, 'Felicia Adamser') is waiting her turn by the entrance. As the head negotiator of our Vigilante Wing, she's likely here to report about the inquiries we have on our Freelance Boards. Once she's through security, I'll have her co-lead in a priority meeting. Even with all of the Pro Heroes and connections this Agency has under its belt, we still rely heavily on information given to us by unlicensed Heroes - they have a better eye on the state of crime than we do.  
Ahead of me is a large screen - showing city buildings fly past and sink below. It's a live feed from a camera attached to the Heroine Froppy. Her job is to make contact with the Endeavor Hero Agency and act as a direct line of communication between us and their current president, the Hero Shoto. His Agency and mine are unofficial partners against crime - with his going after larger targets, and mine going for the lesser known. Since we're both after the same criminal group this time around, he's the first contact we need to get ahold of during our blackout.  
And beside me are pieces to a custom FRS-locked radio. When I have time to spare, I spend it on building and adjusting this. Normally, any range of two-way radio would be quick for me to construct. But not knowing who could be listening in, from where, at this time, makes me extra wary of the transmission method. We still need to regain contact with our Mentor Wing's head, the Heroine Battle Fist - my best friend Itsuka. Though we can clearly communicate with her wing through normal channels, the fact that she's personally not answering them worries me. If I can't manage a private line with her soon, then it means another intrusion is under way.  
If these concerns didn't take up enough of my time, then the large backorder of equipment should keep me well-occupied. Hatsume Mei has already given me the requested blueprints, initial test results, and four stable prototypes to work with. All that's left is for me to produce my version of them, give them to our R&D for further testing, produce a bulk order of the thrice-successful designs, give those to our equipment crew, and see what Mei has in mind for a 'returned favor'... all before tomorrow afternoon.  
Oh, and of course, there's the budget meeting. Was that for today or tomorrow?

I'm running myself ragged, I know. But there's little I can do for it at this point. We're facing a major crisis with the revival of a Villain group, _and_ we're reworking our entire system to include ten new Heroes - at the same time. Should I slack on either front, our Agency could crumble from the inside out. And that wouldn't only spell the end for us, but also for those that depend on us.  
We won't let that happen.  
I won't let that happen.  
My whining exhaustion can wait - these responsibilities need me now.

"Don't forget you have that thing this weekend."

" _Right..._ " I sigh.

"So don't kill yourself like this. Take a break."

"I don't think we can afford one."

"You're not the only one running this place, you know. Everyone here's completely invested in what this Agency stands for. You can trust us to take care of things here."

"You're... right. You're right." With another sigh, I hang my head in surrender and smile. "Thank you, Toru."

"Anytime." she says to me as she slaps my back.

The Heroine Invisible Girl... I forgot that she was also part of this room's security - what with her invisible nature (I wonder if she ever gets cold).

Hagakure Toru, along with Asui Tsuyu, Jiro Kyoka, Shoji Mezo, and Kendo Itsuka (all of them familiar faces from my time in U.A.) had joined me in founding my new Hero Agency after graduation. As graduated Pro Heroes themselves, they needed an organization to place their new licenses under. Any one of them could have landed jobs with larger Agencies, or gotten full sponsorship from companies with renown. To support me and my work instead - I was immensely grateful at the time, and still am to this day.

Datamine, Checkmate, Poolgrip, and Felicia were also individuals I met well before my graduation - as customers of the original company, _The Hero's Price_. After hearing of my plans to start an Agency of my own, they ended their contracts with their respective companies to come work for me. Their zealous loyalty towards my career's vision left me speechless. Adamser Felicia, especially, surprised me with her fervor for my work - as she was a Quirkless foreigner who (at the time) could barely speak Japanese. The fact that she, alongside others I had never met face-to-face, risked their livelihood to help my work - humbles me to no end, and drives me to press ever on.

Outside of my Agency, Hatsume Mei, Todoroki Shoto, Iida Tenya, and Komori Kinoko each continued their connections with me well after our graduation. Hatsume Mei, lead designer and co-owner of a major Support Agency in America - offers us blueprints and prototypes. Todoroki Shoto, successor of his father's position - offers us manpower and information. Iida Tenya, carrying on his family's mantle - offers us local connections. And Komori Kinoko, head of a Quirk-based drug company - offers us medicine, supplements, and snacks (mostly mushrooms).

With these people by my side, along with every new Hero that entered through our Mentor Wing - and every Vigilante that assists us through our Vigilante Wing, I can say with complete confidence that I am not alone in my endeavors.  
I just tend to forget that this means I can take a break every now and then.

The weight of my tiredness crashes onto my shoulders. I suddenly feel very groggy.  
I turn and raise my hand into the air - giving a signal for attention. Everyone in the room looks up to where my hand is. Seeing the gesture of my fingers, nearly all of them return to their work. Only one of them leaves their post and walks up to me.

"I'm up to speed with what we're doing. Leave it to me." the Heroine Creati tells me with a friendly salute as she takes over my position.

Pro Hero name 'Creati', civilian name... 'Akahoshi Hitomi'. A recent graduate from U.A., she was my junior by two years, and I had only gotten to know her on my last year there. Having a creation Quirk similar to my own (though hers creates objects with pure thought, at the sacrifice of memories), I mentored her and helped push the limits of her ability. She took on my former Hero-name to show her appreciation towards me - and entered into my Agency after graduation to express her loyalty.  
While she may be one of the newer recruits in this Agency, her impressive track record within leadership roles tells me that she can be trusted to watch over my work.  
Plus, she's the only one here (outside of myself) who can continue building my radio to Itsuka.

"Take your time. Focus on what's important." I tell the familiar phrase to Akahoshi - it's one that I had voiced repeatedly during our time as teacher and student.

She shows me a dour frown and gets to work. _That's my pupil._

With a long yawn, I rub at my eyes and walk away from the monitor area - moving myself to the vending machines in the corner of the room. An oolong tea would really hit the spot.

* * *

It takes me minutes to get through the room's security, out the hall, and into the main lobby - where I could gain better reception for my phone.  
I had given up on pseudo-supervising the teams that I set to work in the Command Center. Most of them shooed me away, while others deliberately ignored me since I was _'supposed to be on break'_. The most I could do there without upsetting anyone was remain on standby.  
But not involving myself directly with work made me anxious. So as an alternative, I decided to involve myself with someone I had full rights to supervise.  
My thumb swipes to my most recent contact and readies the call.  
Attempting a phone call through any non-wired service is dangerous within this state of emergency (especially when it's with a personal smartphone) - I'm well aware of this. But I have serious doubts that any Villain can use this call's (or this dummy phone's) information against myself or the Agency.  
Shouldering the smartphone to my ear, I wait through the call's ringing while eating handfuls of crackers. I might be stress-eating...  
The call goes through.

"Hello? He-Hello?! _Ah._ Back off! Hey!" the voice on the other end shouts over an avalanche of other sounds. Mostly explosions. "Sorry about that. Hello?"

"How do things look on your end?" I ask the voice, between devouring crackers.

"Oh you know. The usual. _Don't think so. Stay down._ "

"Are you where I asked you to be? Or did you get distracted again?"

"No, no. I'm actually here. The Agency base behind the stadium, right? I have the base's leader with me right now. Well, on me. He's unconscious. Everyone else is safe - they're evacuated. Woah! _Hey, watch where you're pointing that thing!_ Except the bad guys, of course."

"Do you need backup?"

"Nope. Have it under control. I'll be done and back before sundown."

"Come straight here after you're done."

"I know."

"No side-jobs."

"I know, I know."

"I mean it. I don't want to wait around for another two hours like yesterday. Leave those other dangers to the other Agencies. That's what they're there for."

"Okay..."

"Okay _what_?"

"Okay, I'll head straight back to base once I'm done here. No side-jobs. No distractions."

"Keep to that promise. If you end up overexerting yourself again, I'll give you an earful."

"Same goes for you."

"I'm on a snack break."

"That's something, I guess... But you need more than a snack break! You need to rest your head. Sleep, maybe. Fun, definitely."

"Fun? You think we can afford that?"

"Is a dinner out of the question? At that restaurant we saw yesterday."

I tap a cracker on my lip, thinking. "You're sure? We had something else planned..."

"Our date this weekend? I didn't forget about it."

"Just making sure."

"We can afford more than one date this week."

"Money, I'm sure we can afford, but affording _time_ is different."

"Hey, we're off-duty once our shift ends. Or don't you remember that argument we had a few months ago? _No_ work after the clock. Otherwise I'll force us to take an early vacation, _again_. I mean it. Besides, you're not the only one working this case. Everyone's doing their best to keep this Villain stuff under control - not just those in our Agency, but in Todoroki's too. And the police! We're all watching each other's backs - so each of us can rest when we need to. You need to take advantage of that."

I pass seconds in silence, waiting for any other additions to his speech. With nothing heard by the fifth second (outside of the sounds of shattering concrete), I reply with a slight laugh, "This is the second time I've gotten this lecture today. Toru said the same thing to me."

"Because it's the truth. _Ow! That hurt! Oh - sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard..._ Anyways, you need to trust your crew more. There's a reason why you chose them. Let them prove their stuff."

"Says the one who keeps reserving the Agency's most difficult jobs. None of our Heroes have had the chance to test their strength in the field because of you."

"I just... want to contribute something worthwhile to the team?"

"Can I use that excuse?"

"Nope."

"Then neither can you. Come on back already - your equipment is going to expire in the next hour. I'll have them send a Hero team to take over your area."

"... Okay, okay. Just get them here quick. A lot of these guys are trying to make a run for it."

"Roger that. I'll see you back at base then."

"See you soon. I love you, Momo-honey!"

"Y-Yes... I l-love you too... Izuku... d-darling." I answer back with an awful stutter.

The call ends and I pocket my phone away.  
Someone in the lobby just giggled. _Who? Diamond Wing? Floss? One of the receptionists?  
_

My face is burning. If I could, I would hide in a hole and never come out. Or at least devour another bag of mushroom crackers.  
Forcing me say that sort of thing out loud... I'm aware that I had married the man over a month ago, but I'm still unused to these public shows of affection... I don't want to rub our relationship in people's faces. And I certainly have no desire for others seeing me like this. But it's not as if I can just respond to his 'I love you, honey' with _'Yeah, same'_. He makes me say these things. And he teases me whenever I don't.  
Holding hands... Sitting so close to one another... Kissing me on the cheek... It's all still too much for me.  
I know he's only trying to show me his affection, no matter where we are. But when there's an audience to see - the habit beyond embarrassing.  
I prefer to share our feelings in private...  
I like it much better when there's nothing around to distract us...  
I love when it's only us there.

 _Love...  
_ A strong word.  
The first time I had ever directed the word towards Izuku was on the same day I asked him to propose to me... The very next week, we were married. And we moved into our first apartment together - the very next day. He was flustered. I was flustered. It all happened so fast.  
For me, however, I felt as if I had been holding us back for far too long.  
The two of us had been dating for years, since we were 1st Years in U.A. Yet, never once during that time had I used the word 'love' to describe my relationship with him. Not in hint, nor by comparison. Not even on the day he finally braved himself to tell me that he loved me. I had only used every other affection, except 'love'.  
It's not as if I held no strong feelings for him... I just had no real understanding of the word 'love' at the time. Until I honestly knew what it meant, I didn't want to claim that I felt that way towards him. I never wanted to lie to him, or lead him on falsely, with a word so supposedly 'life-changing'.  
By poetic definition - in novels, movies, songs, and gossip - 'love' was an emotion, or force, that was completely intangible, yet utterly real. It was irrational, irreversible. Physical, unavoidable. Terrifying, comforting. Frail yet strong. Freeing and imprisoning. And so it had no sense of itself. And no one honestly knew what it meant.  
How could people throw around the phrase _'I love you'_ so effortlessly then?  
I couldn't - so I never did. Until only a little more than a month ago, I kept myself from saying those three words to him.  
And now - I regret all the times I hadn't.

As I walk through the halls of the Agency, greeting and conversing with faces familiar to its settings, my thoughts linger back to this place's early beginnings... When it was only empty rooms and quiet corridors. When the only occupied room of the building displayed a filing cabinet, a table, laptop, printer, two chairs, and a potted plant on one side. When it was just the two of us walking in its spaces.  
Izuku and I built this place up from that beginning. From the ground up.  
We designed the building's layout, negotiated the loans with the bank, contacted city hall, sorted out which licenses we needed, were plagued by headaches from the paperwork and budgeting and mailing... together, in that small, barely furnished room.  
Slowly, after uncountable mistakes and hardships... that hollow building with only one furnished room - was neighbored with a second room. Then a third and a fourth, and more. Then we received actual equipment, and locks on our doors. Then employees filled its spaces, and an actual sign graced our front. And newspaper listings, television commercials, and a working business line advertised who we were - what we did. We gained a parking lot, replaced a single coffee maker with an entire cafeteria, upgraded the gym room into a functioning training facility. Little by little, effort by effort, we transformed this place. We turned this nothing into something.  
When I first realized that the two of us were the ones _responsible_ for this change - I came to realize what 'love' truly meant.

The struggles we went through, the projects we built up, the arguments we held, the silences we shared, all that we had done for each other - _because_ of each other... even through our accusations and avoidances... These all said _'I love you'_ \- without the words, and without a comparison.  
'Love', as I came to understand it, wasn't a feeling. It wasn't intangible. And it wasn't just a reaction.  
It was an _action_. It was a _promise_ and a _result_.  
As some indescribable high or a concept of connection, 'love' held no weight for me. But as a tangible, measurable practice, I've been overcome by it - and now I find it all too easy to admit that I _love_ my husband. _I love him..._ I truly _love_ him.  
If only I could speak the words to him without that awful stutter.

" _Izuku..._ " I whisper to the air, " _I l-love you..._ "

Even with no one listening, the act of saying those words makes me feel shy. I know that I _do_ love him, but... I feel so inexperienced with this affection. How can he expect me to say it out in public? How can he expect me to shout it over the phone? I'm such a child...  
At least we're married now, so I'll have plenty of practice with these words. I'll get used to saying them around him... eventually. With practice. It will take time, but we have plenty of that now... We're married, after all... _Married...  
_ _I'm_ married...  
I spend so much time in a day attempting to express love in my actions and words, that I often forget that the most obvious show of it is attached to my marital status. Specifically, through my name - 'Midoriya Momo'.  
A pleasant-to-say name that rolls off the tongue, and evidence that I've entrusted my future to him. I bear his family name now, and the responsibilities of his life and mine have become 'our responsibilities' because of this. Neither of us can act without the other becoming involved. And neither of us can bear a burden without sharing its weight with the other.  
I am now 'the other half' of Midoriya Izuku. And he is 'the other half' of me.

Who would've known that we would end up this way?

"It's strange to actually see you on break, Momo." a voice says beside me.

I turn to face the voice with careful suspicion - though my eyes quickly grow wide in surprise.  
 _This person_ knew that Izuku and I would end up this way. Along with Tsuyu and Todoroki, _this person_ thought it was only natural for Izuku and I to deepen our relationship after that first date. Though _this person_ was the only one who believed the relationship would last.  
"Where have you been?!" I nearly shout in anger at _this person_ \- whom I'm equally furious and relieved to see, "Why are you here?!"

"Am I not supposed to be?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean- Why haven't you been answering your radio?!" I yell with frustration - while I remove a device from my belt and place it over their mouth.

" _Mwomo - momm mowmm._ " the person sounds with a cylinder between her lips.

 _"Kendo Itsuka. Registered Mentor. Class S Security. On Duty."_ the device chimes.

I re-attach the item to my belt with a heavy sigh. Kendo Itsuka, my best friend, and the one responsible for Izuku and I's relationship. I have her to thank for reuniting us after our falling out. And her to blame for causing me to stress-eat today.  
If anything happened to her...  
"I've been trying to contact you for hours!" I yell at her.

Itsuka casually shrugs off my roaring and shakes her head. "The private radio in my office has been out all morning. The thing won't charge at all. So I came over here to get a replacement."

"Well-! I-! Why didn't you let me know sooner?!"

"I just got here."

"Just now? Did something happen?"

"My job happened. I had things over there to take care of first."

"You had me seriously worried... I really mean that."

"Spark told you that everything was fine on my end, didn't he?"

"He never said your radio was out."

"You want a Villain to hear that over the public frequency?"

My shoulders slouch in exhaustion. " _No..._ I just wish you had told me sooner. With those Villains going after us-"

"We have them where we want them. Right? That was the point of our recent missions. To provoke them, remember? You need to relax. You're not the only one keeping an eye out for them. We have things under control over there too."

"This is the third time I've heard this lecture today." I grumble.

Itsuka laughs. "If you don't relax, it won't be the last time."

"That's why I'm on break."

"Then stay on break for another hour. You've probably gone over the amount of work hours you're supposed to have this week. Actually, just end your day early. We'll cover for you."

"You know I can't do that, Itsuka."

"You know you should do that, Momo. Keep this up and I'm telling your hubby to drag you on another vacation." Itsuka threatens with a friendly smile. The smile turns into a smirk. "Speaking of..." Her eyes point to an area behind me.

Entering through the automatic doors of the front lobby, a fair-sized figure - adorned with battle-scarred plates and burn-marked fabrics - smiles and waves his hand in my direction.  
He's a decent-looking Hero, with impressive muscles and a strong posture, but nothing aside from that description distinguishes him from a crowd of Pro Heroes. Plain-faced and unintimidating in speech, he wears a costume designed with basic colors and patterns. Adding his simple and expected attitude towards others, he seems severely out of place in a building surfaced with marble and obsidian.  
But no one here can do what he just did - single-handedly rescuing a Hero Agency from an all-out Villain assault. No one here can claim even a fraction of the deeds he's done during his time as a registered Pro Hero. And frankly, most people in Japan couldn't achieve half of what he's accomplished before he even received his license.  
His appearance may be average, but he himself is unmistakeable.  
The Hero Deku enters the Agency through a flood of cheers. He hands off his broken armor to a rushing assistant, politely declines an interview with a reporter, and signs a few posters passed to him, all while he continues his determined stride towards me.  
He grins his signature grin - one belonging to the strongest Hero in the world - much to the delight and comfort of his fans. In my eyes, however, that smile was given only to me... to tell me that he's safe, he's home, and that he loves me...

I smile back shyly, happy to welcome him back as his wife... but determined to receive him as his acting manager.  
I walk towards and around him - calling over assistants to look over his wounds, signalling security to discourage crowding on the main floor, and asking reporters to wait by the designated press areas. Hidden to everyone else's eyes, I slide my hand across his waist - letting him know that I'm worried over his recent scars, but very glad to have him back with me.  
He reaches for my waist as a response, but I quickly slide away from his hand professionally.  
As far as I can tell, we're still on the clock. And there's still so much work to be done. The public display of romance can wait for later.  
Right now, I have to tend to this place's functions and commit to my duties... Whenever he's here - I always take these responsibilities seriously. It's one of the ways that I can show him that 'I love you', after all.

Izuku soon vanishes into the crowd of working personnel, while I melt my way into the mass of public relations. Even apart, we return to our roles as uncompromising partners - committed to protecting those who need help the most...

Together, we run _The Hero's Rescue Agency_ \- the only Agency in the world designated to save Heroes.


End file.
